Shooting Stars
by Quillified
Summary: The Powerpuff Girls are gone, disappeared on a secret mission. Left behind to fill their mothers' shoes, Jackie, Janey, and Jezebel must pull together to protect Townsville and each other from the forces of evil.
1. Chapter 1: No Rest for the Worried

Chapter One: No Rest for the Worried

_"Pizza!" Jackie crowed, bouncing around the kitchen. Mommy glanced at her and grinned, sliding a steaming slice onto a plate for her. Jackie accepted it and followed Amanda into the den, where Mommy shut the door. She finished her slice, watching the movie with her sister, until she decided she was still hungry and wanted another slice._

_Mommy was sitting at the table, her back to the door and her shoulders shaking._

_"Mommy?" Jackie asked, putting her plate on the table. "Why are you crying?"_

_Mommy wiped her face and tried to smile, but Jackie knew that it had something to do with Daddy. They almost never had pizza. Daddy made the best dinners._

_"Nothing's wrong, sweetheart," Mommy said, gathering Jackie up in her lap. "Mommy and Daddy had a misunderstanding."_

_"Is that why Daddy isn't home right now?" Jackie asked. "Is he ever coming home?"_

_"He will," Mommy nodded, "and I want you to remember that. Your daddy loves you and your sister, and he's always going to come home to you."_

_"What about you, Mommy?" Jackie asked. "Doesn't Daddy love you?"_

_Mommy didn't answer, but her eyes filled up again. Jackie hugged her._

_"It's okay, Mommy," she said. "I know he does. He just can't say it sometimes."_

_"You're awfully smart for a five-year-old," Mommy teased, kissing Jackie's forehead. "Go back in the den with Amanda, honey. Mommy needs some alone time right now."_

_Daddy came home after Jackie's bedtime, woke her and Amanda up, and made everyone a brownie sundae. They didn't say it, but Jackie knew that Daddy and Mommy weren't sad at each other anymore._

* * *

><p>Jackie knew something was wrong when her dad ordered pizza.<p>

Hudson, being the sweet little kid he was, didn't suspect a thing, but Jackie and Amanda shared a meaningful glance. Once Brick was off the phone Jackie raised her voice.

"Everything okay, Dad?"

"Hmm? Yeah," he nodded, "everything's fine." He weighed his phone in his hand and set off for the basement stairs. Jackie waited until he was gone before turning back to her nineteen-year-old sister.

"Any ideas?" she asked. Amanda frowned, adjusting her glasses.

"Mom," she said simply. "Six o'clock and no word? Something's up."

Jackie nodded slowly. Blossom _had_ been acting odd lately, along with Aunt Bubbles and Aunt Buttercup. Whatever it was, she was pretty confident their husbands had no idea what was going on.

This confidence was strengthened when her uncles and cousins all arrived around the same time as the pizza. Brick came back upstairs, paid the pizza man, ignored Jackie's pointed questions, took one of the six boxes, and retreated with his brothers back into the basement. Amanda and Gabriel, as the oldest, took charge with organizing the younger kids; Jackie got her slices and went to the backyard to wait for Janey and Jezebel.

She didn't wait for long. The two cousins who shared her birthday came out a few minutes later, Janey making a beeline for the tree house ladder, Jezebel for the only swing on the swing set that wasn't broken.

"So?" Jackie spoke first. "What do you think?"

"It's fishy," Janey frowned. "Mom never goes anywhere without leaving some kind of note. It's not like her."

"Whatever it is, it scares them," Jezebel said calmly, pushing her dark curls out of her face. "It's something big."

"Well, whatever it is, they'll be back soon," Janey replied optimistically. "They've never met a monster they couldn't handle."

Jackie nodded slowly, chewing her pizza.

"What's the plan, Leader Girl?" Janey asked. "Snoop or stay?"

"We keep our eyes open," Jackie replied, "but no direct snooping. If our dads knew anything they wouldn't be so bothered. When the time is right—"

"—we'll be told," Janey finished. "Man, I'm so tired of hearing that."

"Janey," Jezebel warned, but Janey seemed to have already hit her stride.

"Seriously," she plowed on, "you'd think, after six months of this crap, we'd be some kind of improved."

"We are," Jackie countered. "We can already fly farther, run faster, and hit harder. We'd be more of a _team unit_ if _someone_ wasn't more concerned about beach parties than training."

"Jackie, come on," Jezebel pleaded listlessly, lifting her feet as the piece of pizza Janey was about to take a bite of buried itself in the playground mulch.

"_Excuse_ me, Jackie, I didn't realize it was such a big crime to want to have fun once in a while," Janey scowled. Jackie's dark pink eyes flashed, but she held her outer tranquility.

"It's as good as a crime when we should be preparing for what's out there," Jackie argued.

"It's not a big deal! If the job gets too big, our moms can always step in!" Janey yelled.

"Your mothers aren't here now," a deep voice replied, and from the shadows of the backyard the girls' fathers emerged. "It's about time you three buckled down and got serious."

"Dad, what's going on? Where's Mom?" Jackie asked, getting to her feet. Janey and Jezebel followed suit, standing on either side of Jackie. Brick studied all three of them, the lines on his forehead very pronounced.

"Mom's not coming home for a while," Brick said, his voice more gentle.

"What does that mean for us?" Jezebel looked at her own father as she spoke. Butch shrugged.

"Basement, girls. Now." Brick led the way, dodging the twins and his own son as they tore through the halls. Jackie cast Janey a hard look, who returned it with a scowl. Jezebel slapped their arms and rolled her eyes.

In the basement was a large computer-simulation training chamber, connected by a thick steel door to an observation and control room. It was accessed by key pad and thumb scan, and virtually impregnable when in lockdown mode. In short, it was the perfect place to discuss their immediate plans while keeping young superhuman ears from eavesdropping. Brick waited until they were all seated around the table before starting in.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat it," he said. "It's a mess. We have no idea where your moms are, or what they could possibly be doing. Not to say we don't have theories," he continued as Jackie opened her mouth, "but nothing solid." He rubbed the bridge between his eyes. "What did I tell you girls, six months ago?"

"You said that times were getting dangerous and the time for playing hopscotch in the clouds was over," Jackie rapped out immediately. "You guys are getting old, and the world needs new protectors."

"I still resent that comment," Boomer muttered, making everyone at the table but Brick smile.

"Good," Brick nodded, flashing his daughter a quick grin. "I asked you a question. What did I ask?"

"You asked if we were in, or out," Jezebel replied.

"Janey, what was the answer?" Brick asked. Janey huffed before answering.

"We said we were in," she said, though she sounded like she dearly regretted it now. "To be fair, Uncle Brick, you never said—"

"Jane Elizabeth Utonium, if I knew this was going to happen, rest assured, I would have included it in my proposal," Brick snapped. "When you said you were _in_, all three of you made a promise. This means you stop complaining about responsibilities," he glared at Janey, who yanked on her golden braid and avoided his gaze, "you give one hundred percent and don't slack off," his eyes moved to Jezebel, who had the grace to look ashamed, "and you stop arguing amongst each other." His gaze rested on Jackie, who nodded and glanced at Janey apologetically. Janey avoided her, as well.

"The best we can do right now is to continue your training until they get back. When school lets out next week, all three of you are to be in this basement bright and early at nine each morning, five days a week," Brick continued.

"We talked him into letting you have the weekends off," Boomer whispered to Janey loudly, who looked up and smiled a little.

"Talk nothing. I flat-out told him I wasn't giving up our Sunday fishing trips," Butch winked at Jezebel.

"That being said," Brick plowed on, "your training isn't going to be easy. You're going to be tested. You're going to be sore. You're going to bruise and tear and bleed. When the hotline goes off, you answer the call. No more messing around, no more preliminaries. This is the big leagues. Have I made myself completely clear? Does anyone have any questions?"

"Do we get potty breaks?" Janey asked innocently. Boomer cracked up, giving her a high-five. Brick stiffly let everyone around him laugh before letting himself relax and grin.

"Get out of here," he chuckled. The girls didn't need telling twice. His brothers lingered a little longer.

"What about us?" Boomer asked softly. "What do we do?"

"Whatever you have to," Brick replied. Boomer nodded. Then he snorted.

"Drew's going to kill her," he laughed. "She promised she'd come to his recital next week."

"Kids and I are going to go stock up on frozen food later on tonight," Butch grunted. "I'm really gonna miss her cooking."

"It's not forever," Brick said, though he didn't sound like he believed himself. "Come on, boys. Strong faces."

When the house was empty and the leftovers stored in the fridge, Amanda, Jackie, and Hudson all crawled into their parents' bed and loudly demanded to watch their mom's favorite TV show. Brick resisted for about five minutes, it being a school night for Jackie and Hudson, but relented at Hudson's fat bottom lip.

Around midnight Brick turned the TV off and picked a sleeping Hudson up. Jackie went with him to tuck her little brother in.

"What makes you so sure it's this serious?" Jackie asked quietly as Hudson shifted and snuggled into his pillow. Brick sighed and sat at the foot of Hudson's bed.

"I think it's more than you need to know right now," Brick said simply. "But in the interest of keeping you girls informed, I'll say this: your mom isn't always as sneaky as she thinks she is."

"Dad?" Hudson roused drowsily. Brick looked at his son. "When's Mama getting back?"

"I don't know, kiddo," Brick replied, tucking Hudson's favorite stuffed bear under Hudson's arm. "Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

Brick elected to tuck Jackie in, as well, and kissed her forehead.

"Don't worry," he said quietly. "Leadership is in your blood. Fighting injustice is what you three were all born to do."

"It's just going to be really hard. Everyone's going to expect us to be as good as they were when we're not," Jackie said in a small voice.

"Don't stress it. You'll do fine. Townsville understands you're still learning the ropes." He stood up. "Sleep tight, Jackie Bear."

"'Night, Dad," Jackie grinned at the sound of her old nickname. He closed the door of her room. Jackie shifted to look at the old glow-in-the-dark stars glued to her ceiling. They weren't as bright as when she and her mom first put them up, but to her sharp eye they still cast some light. The thought made her curiously homesick, and she rolled over to get to sleep.

* * *

><p>Six o'clock came way too early, Jackie grumbled, pulling herself into the chair in front of her mom's old vanity. Amanda claimed she outgrew the vanity years ago and it passed to Jackie; it was still the same vibrant pink as in Blossom's childhood. She turned the lights on and blinked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.<p>

She looked at herself. She inherited her father's dark red hair, cropped short and kept messy. She first did it to drive her mother crazy, but as the years went on, she ended up really liking the look. She dusted it away from her forehead to check for signs of breaking out (to her satisfaction, there were none) and dragged her fingers down her cheeks, making a face for a minute. She grinned at herself and dropped her hands, reaching down in her drawer for her brush.

Her fingers brushed something foreign, and she pulled out a long red ribbon. She recognized it as one that her mother used to wear, judging by the size, in her teens; the fabric still kinked where the smaller, less obtrusive bow used to be. She looked at herself again and, just for kicks, tied it in her hair. It sat like a red fly on her hair, and she stuck her tongue out.

Struck by an idea, she undid it and tied it horizontally, the bow part hanging off the left side of her head. She checked herself from all sides, sweeping her hair around it and fashioning it just so. To her delight, she really liked it. It looked…cool. And it made her feel closer to her mom.

Downstairs Brick drank his coffee and read his newspaper. Amanda was serving up thick slices of French toast while Hudson loudly recited the Preamble to the Constitution to her. Jackie straightened her shirt and kissed the side of her father's head, who blinked and lowered his newspaper.

"You're chipper this morning," he said. Jackie shrugged.

"Hey, that's cool!" Hudson said, pointing at Jackie's latest accessory. Jackie grinned and accepted a plate from Amanda.

Breakfast was less than peaceful, with Hudson determinedly pressing through the Preamble when it was clear he didn't know it. Amanda, who did, kept correcting him and making him mess up even more. To forestall a fight, Brick folded his paper.

"Hudson, do you have a test on this today?" he asked. Hudson hung his head in defeat.

"I really tried," he protested. "I studied it for, like, an _hour_."

"Well, you've got the beginning down," Brick replied, "but you keep tripping up at the end. Tell you what, I'll drive you to school today and you can practice with me. Deal?"

"Deal!" Hudson shouted, shoving an entire slice of French toast in his mouth. Jackie smiled and tossed a napkin at him.

The time came to leave and head their separate ways. Amanda said her goodbyes to her family and jetted off to her job at the mall.

"Want a ride?" Brick asked, jangling his keys. "I'll let you drive."

"In rush hour morning traffic? Please," Jackie laughed. "Besides, don't want to miss making my grand entrance." She kissed his cheek and ruffled Hudson's hair. "See you guys."

They waved, and Jackie lifted off, leaving a magenta streak behind her. Once up high she could see Amanda's coral just fading in the downtown Townsville area, as well as her cousin Jude's electric green and Jude's brother Troy's deep green on the outskirts. In the direction of Townsville High a sea-green stripe arched across the sky, and a sky-blue stripe wasn't too far behind. Jackie blasted into hyper drive, watching as her energy fizzed around her in a dark pink shield.

She landed just beside the flagpole, where Janey and Jezebel already were.

"Morning," she said brightly.

"Morning," Janey returned. "Nice bow."

Jezebel nodded. "Leslie says Queenie's out for blood today," she said.

"Let her be," Jackie snorted. "If there's one thing I don't think I have to fear, it's Queenie Morbucks with a dodgeball."

"Ladies," Rob Believe said, swinging up and putting his arms around Jackie and Janey's shoulders. "What's cracking?"

"Besides your voice?" Janey poked him in the stomach playfully and he promptly released them. "Epic battle is going down in gym today."

"Ah, why should today be any different?" Rob sighed, winking at Jackie. "Down with the Red Queen, I say."

There was a high-pitched squealing and someone crashed into Jezebel, talking at high speeds.

"You'll never guess, you just will _not _guess what I found out!" Mimi Chang cried, half-strangling Jezebel in her attempt to cease momentum.

"Mimi," Jezebel gasped, massaging her throat, "ow."

"Oh, ow yourself, you know that didn't really hurt!" Mimi poked her friend in the side teasingly. "You freaks will _never_ guess what I just found out!"

"Obviously we'll never guess, so why not enlighten us?" Jezebel asked. Mimi stuck her tongue out and went on with what she was saying.

"Queenie Morbucks has a twin brother, and he's getting back in the country this summer from _France!_" Mimi announced dramatically. "From what I heard from Leslie, who heard it from Benita who heard it from John who heard it from Queenie, he's _gorgeous_ and _single_! And he speaks French! Fluently!"

"Wow, Mimi," Jackie whistled, "did you hit your head when you got up this morning? None of us can stand Queenie."

"I know, and I'm not crazy about her, either, but he's different!" Mimi protested. "No, really! Leslie heard it from Benita—"

"We get the chain, Mimi, just move on," Jezebel said hastily.

"Anyway," she continued, "I heard that he's different from Queenie. He's actually _decent_ and _not_ a total snobby sleaze like Queenie. That's why Mrs. Morbucks sent him to Europe and not to public high school with Queenie."

"I bet that makes Queenie feel better," Janey snorted. "What's his name?"

"Duke," Mimi said it reverently. "I have his picture around here somewhere—he's _famous_ in Europe, and Leslie found a news article—where is that stupid picture?" She dumped her large purse out on the ground, rummaging through the odd bits and ends until she found a tattered scrap of paper. She thrust it at Jackie with the air of someone granting a huge honor.

Jackie took the paper and unfolded it, reading the article within. _Schoolboy Places First in International Essay Contest_. From what Jackie could tell, this was a huge deal; he was competing against some of the best high schoolers in the world, including a worldwide record-holder from Japan. Mimi tsked.

"The picture, Jack, not the words under the picture," she tapped the picture several times. "See? See? Isn't he gorgeous?"

Janey and Jezebel both looked over Jackie's shoulders as she evaluated the picture. He _was_ pretty good-looking; Janey whistled and Jezebel bit her lip.

"Nice hair," Jackie said eventually, tearing her eyes away, "but he's still probably as big a snot as the rest of his family. No thanks."

"Oh, you're no fun," Mimi sniffed, stuffing the contents of her purse back into its carrier.

"Mimi's drooling over apparently gorgeous rich boys aside," Rob said, winking at Mimi's dirty look, "I have other news as to why this summer is going to be hotter than usual."

"The lack of shifts in atmospheric pressure?" Jackie suggested.

"Volcanic eruption?" Janey guessed.

"Arsonists?" Jezebel proposed.

"Ever the ray of sunshine, Jezzie dear," Rob rolled his eyes. "No, I'm referring to the fact that—"

Whatever Rob was about to say would have to wait; the bell rang, and the student body in the courtyard crushed towards the multiple doors. Jackie hunched her shoulders and muscled her way through, wading to her AP US History class. Once alone and not in the refreshingly distracting company of her friends, her mind returned to her various problems. A couple weeks ago had been the AP exams and as such Jackie didn't have much of anything going on in her classes, which didn't help her in the least. She kneaded her forehead while pretending to read a passage in her textbook, her mind racing through a million subjects at once.

Wherever her mom was, she thought, she hoped it was pretty dang important.

* * *

><p>AN: Well, folks, I did it. I'm writing chapter!fic. Let me know what you think, because this is completely unbeta'd (though edited some by me) and I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this (lawl yes I do sort of maybe).

Reviews. I likes them.


	2. Chapter 2: Pretty Mask

Chapter Two: Pretty Mask

_"Do you know why you're so special, Janey Baby?" Mommy asked, smiling. Janey liked it when her mommy smiled. She sparkled when she did._

_"'Cuz I'm a miracle," Janey repeated what she'd been told her entire life._

_"That's right," Mommy replied. "When Mommy and Daddy fell in love and got married, Mommy went to go see a special doctor who told her she wouldn't be able to have kids. Well, Mommy was really sad about it, but Daddy wouldn't give up until we found a way to have a baby."_

_"Mommy, where do babies come from, anyway?" Janey interrupted. She'd heard this story before, but it always puzzled her when she talked about the special doctor. She was under the impression babies came from storks._

_"That's something different for a different day," Mommy said. "Well, one day, Daddy found a very special doctor who said he could help. And do you know what happened?"_

_"You had me!" Janey exclaimed. Mommy laughed, _

_"That's right," she said. "Remember, Janey Baby, you're very special, because you're my miracle baby. One day you might meet some mean kids who won't understand you or how special you are, and you just keep remembering that you're special and you're a miracle, okay? Promise?"_

_"Mommy, you're silly," Janey laughed. "Kids aren't mean!"_

* * *

><p>Janey went through her day like nothing was wrong, and tried very hard to keep her thoughts out of bad territory, but she still had to go home and face the reality. Sydney, Marcus, and Drew all came home before she did, and she had no doubt Boomer would be home full-time now that Bubbles was gone.<p>

She didn't stay for long, just enough to make sure everyone was okay and grab her gym clothes. Her gym class was having a game of tag football for extra credit, and although Janey certainly didn't need the point boost, she thought it would be fun.

"Hey, Braids," Coach Bensen greeted as Janey jogged onto the field, quickly doing her hair up in plaits. It kept it out of the way and looked cute, so it worked for her. Rob was there stretching and talking to Jackie, who was still wearing her new bow. It was a little odd at first, but Janey really did think it suited her.

"Jezebel not want to come?" Janey asked. Jackie shook her head.

"Family stuff," she said, and Janey understood. Jackie was about to say more, but something connected hard with the back of her head, and a football bounced away in the grass. Jackie grimaced, then fixed a friendly smile on her face as she wheeled on her heel to face Queenie Morbucks.

"I think you dropped something, Queenie," Jackie said politely, picking up the football. "It seemed to have made contact with the back of my skull. That's okay, though. I'm sure it was an accident."

Queenie Morbucks, a girl with fluffy reddish-brown hair and an ego about the same size, simpered along with Jackie's smiles.

"Whoops," she giggled. "Not sure how that happened."

"Here, you can have it back," Jackie said sweetly, and threw the ball back to Queenie. It thumped into her stomach, point-first, and she clutched her midsection and wheezed. Jackie turned back around, grinning at Janey.

"Three," she said, "two, one…"

"Coach Bensen!" Queenie screeched, "Jackie Utonium pegged me intentionally with the football!"

"And I'm sure it was completely unprovoked," Coach Bensen replied, far too used to Queenie's whining than his blood pressure liked. "Jackie, play nice."

"Yes, Coach," Jackie nodded, smiling angelically. Janey stifled a giggle.

"Oh, that reminds me," Rob snapped his fingers, "I never did tell you ladies what's going on this summer."

"It'll have to wait," Jackie said, patting Rob on the shoulder. "Game's about to start."

"Of all the rotten luck," Rob muttered.

"Your timing sucks," Janey commented. Rob sighed.

As luck would have it, Jackie and Queenie were both appointed captains of the opposing teams, and they were chosen quickly (only about eight people had bothered to show). Jackie squatted over the ball, getting ready to snap it to Janey or Rob, whichever was closest.

"Hike!" Jackie called, and with a flick of her wrist sent the ball straight into Janey's waiting hands. She ran a wide circle completely around the other team and almost made a touchdown when one of the guys (she thought his name might have been Steve) managed to plant both hands on her back before tripping. Her momentum carried her over the goal line, but she knew good and well she was caught, and so did Coach Bensen; he blew his whistle and Janey tossed the ball to Jackie, who jogged to where Queenie's downed player was and set up her offensive line again.

Every time Jackie snapped it to Janey the same thing happened; once Janey even did a full somersault over the other team and scored. Queenie, true to form, was red in the face when Coach Bensen called that it was the last play of the night.

Queenie was in possession this time, her manicured hand curled like a claw around the ball and her dark eyes scowling daggers through Jackie's lazy smile. Janey prepared to make a run for Queenie, bouncing on the balls of her feet and the tips of her fingers. Queenie suddenly called a time out, and whispered among her team for a minute before resuming the lineup and calling hike. She faked a pass and attempted to make a run for it, around like Janey. Janey was there to intercept her this time, and reached triumphantly for Queenie's back.

She was promptly blindsided by an angry wall of meat with dull hair and Queenie scored. Janey glared at the guy who knocked her over, leaping to her feet as Rob rushed over to check on her.

"What the crap was that?" she yelled, stabbing her finger in the direction of Queenie's watchdog and accidentally punching him in the stomach. He stumbled back and doubled over.

"Cool it, Braids," Coach Bensen warned. "Morbucks, that little stunt just cost you all extra points."

"What?" Queenie howled. "What for?"

"Unsportsmanlike conduct," Coach Bensen intoned.

"You can't prove I told Brad to crash into her like an idiot," Queenie retorted. Janey turned her glare onto Brad, who promptly nodded and pointed at Queenie. Coach Bensen snorted through his nose and walked off. Queenie purposely tagged Janey with her shoulder as she walked by. Rob, who was walking a little ahead of her, stuck out his leg and tripped Queenie as she passed. Jackie and Janey smothered giggles at Queenie's now-purple face.

"Guess what I heard, Vanessa?" Queenie said loudly to one of her giggling girlfriends. "Mother is running for the Mayor's position again, and one of the promises of her campaign is to ban freaks with superpowers. She's very popular with the majority of the voters."

It was Janey's turn to be red with anger as Queenie flounced off. Jackie put a hand on her shoulder.

"We're not _freaks_," Janey muttered under her breath. "I wish people would stop calling us that."

"Cheer up, Janey, it's just Queenie," Jackie replied in an effort to soothe her. "She's been mean to us since kindergarten. No big."

It might not have been a big deal to Jackie, but to Janey, what people thought of her was everything, even if it was just Queenie and her lackeys. The uncomfortable thing about high school was that girls like Queenie always seemed to be on top. Whether Janey liked it or not, Queenie's opinion was more widespread than Jackie seemed to realize. She had a small scar, little more than a raised thread of skin on her stomach, to prove it.

Her dark mood persisted as she changed out and shouldered her bag, waiting on Jackie to readjust her new bow and follow her outside.

"Whoa! Hey! Jackie! Janey!" Rob yelled after they changed out, running up to them. "Before you two take off, you gotta let me tell you what's going on."

"Spit it out, Rob, before something else happens," Janey smiled. Rob nodded graciously.

"At the end of summer my parents are letting me host a huge party," he said. "There's gonna be free food and stuff, and my cousin knows a DJ who's going to be doing the music. At the end of the night Dad's doing an exclusive screening of his new movie for everyone there."

"That sounds awesome!" Janey remarked. Mike Believe, Rob's dad, was a well-known independent director and screenwriter; his movies were hot commodities in Townsville. "What day?"

"I dunno, in July sometime," he waved his hand vaguely. "You guys are coming, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Janey promised. "Jack?"

"My schedule's pretty much clear," Jackie nodded. "I can't speak for Jezebel, but we'll drag her along."

"Please do," Rob nodded. "The poor girl doesn't get enough socialization." He waved. "I'll see you."

"See you," Janey waved back, blasting into the sky. She zigzagged home, purposely taking the long way around to drag out the trip. Finally she landed on her front porch and took a moment to look at the front flowerbed. Every year Bubbles took special care to put the biggest and brightest flowers in it, but this year her mother didn't seem quite so into it. In fact, it was more Janey and Sydney's work this year than Bubbles; the evidence was in the crooked line the petunias were making. Janey sighed and walked inside.

As was to be expected, all was chaos. The twins, Sydney and Marcus, were tearing through the house like wild animals, while Drew resolutely banged on his small keyboard. Boomer's head poked out of the kitchen a minute later. A foul smell was wafting out of it.

"Hey," he called, "can you give me some help with dinner? I think I messed something up."

Janey rushed to her father's rescue, pausing to take in the burning tomato sauce and the overcooked noodles. She sighed, picked up the pan of ruined spaghetti, and moved it to a different eye to try and salvage it.

"I swear, this kitchen is trying to kill me," Boomer grumbled. "I don't know how your mom does it."

"She goes by recipes, for one thing," Janey giggled, trying to unstick the stirring spoon from the goopy mess. "Dad, I don't think this is edible."

"Toss it," he said gloomily, leaning against the counter. Something crashed in the living room, and Boomer left the kitchen to see what it was. Janey took the opportunity to scrape the pan out in the garbage can and started opening a can of refried beans for tacos.

Boomer returned to the kitchen and followed Janey's instructions in toasting the taco shells while she melted some Velveeta. Under her watchful eye Boomer managed to help cook a decent meal, and set the table in higher spirits than he was in earlier.

"Your mom never could get me to help her in the kitchen," Boomer chuckled. "I told her that since she was so good at it she didn't need me messing it up."

Janey grinned, and after dinner let Boomer do the dishes while she ran a bath for Drew. The little brother in question watched her as she added bubble bath and stirred the water around.

"What's up, little man?" she asked.

"Mommy lied to me," he said stoutly. "She promised."

"Sometimes Mommy can't always keep her promises," Janey said gently. "This was one of those times she just couldn't."

"She promised," Drew repeated. "I hate piano lessons. She said she'd come to my recital if I practiced real hard."

Janey sighed, sitting on the toilet and dragging Drew onto her lap. "Honey, I know it looks like Mommy broke her promise, but she made another promise before she had us. She's keeping her promise to Townsville first. She'll come to your other recitals, I know."

"Marcus said she isn't coming home," Drew said softly.

"Marcus runs his mouth without thinking sometimes," Janey frowned. "You leave Marcus to me. Mommy's coming home. It might be a little while, but she'll come." She kissed the top of his head. "Come on. Wash up before your bath gets cold."

It wasn't hard to locate the twins after that; she just had to follow the sounds of chaos and wanton make-believe to the backyard. The twins were flying around the yard, Sydney's ice-blue energy looping around Marcus' navy. Janey waited about three seconds for her chance; then she shot up, grabbed Marcus around the middle, and brought him back down.

"No fair!" the eight-year-old cried, struggling against his sister's viselike grip. "Lemme go, Sissy!"

"Syd, go ahead inside for a few minutes," Janey said cheerfully as Sydney skidded to a stop in front of them. "I need to have a talk with Marcus."

"No way! You're not my mom!" Marcus yelled, but Sydney just nodded and went on inside. Janey tucked Marcus under her arm, kicking and screaming, and didn't let him go until they reached the far end of the backyard, behind the shed.

"Geez, Sissy, what's wrong with you?" Marcus grumbled, trying to shrug off Janey's firm hands on his shoulders.

"Marcus," she said calmly, "don't you dare tell your brother and sister that Mom isn't coming home."

"Why not? She isn't," Marcus muttered, his eyes on the ground.

"Marcus," Janey repeated, "don't tell your brother and sister that."

"You don't think she's coming home either, do you?" Marcus asked, looking up finally. Janey studied him for a minute.

"I hope she is," she said slowly, "and that's what matters. Hope alone doesn't make things happen, but it makes things bearable. You've got to promise me you'll have hope, okay, bud?"

Marcus nodded. "I'll try," he said cautiously.

"Syd and Drew don't need their older brother telling them their mom isn't coming home when they're already scared about it, so don't ever let me catch you trying to upset them. Do you understand me?" Janey did her best impression of her mother's stern eye; apparently it worked, because Marcus nodded, wide-eyed.

"Good. Now go play," she took her hands off Marcus' shoulders and he zipped off towards the house. Janey walked around the shed and back to the house, her hands in her pockets. Whatever happened to her mom, she thought, she hoped she'd come home soon. This "mom" stuff was harder than it looked.

* * *

><p>AN: Hey, guys. :) I've updated. These first few chapters are going to be kinda slow, because I'm trying to introduce the characters and get the basis of my plot situated. Rest assured, it'll pick up in a chapter or two, but right now I'm trying to get situated.

You may ask, why is Janey, eldest daughter of sweet Bubbles, such a hothead? I'm not exactly sure, but she is. She runs her mouth (which she gets from her dad), but she's good at heart and cares fiercely about her family. She's also social and resents the training a little, but we don't find out about that later. Whoops. Spoiler. ;)

Review if you still, for whatever reason, want to read more.


	3. Chapter 3: Controlled Burning

Chapter Three: Controlled Burning

_"Jezzie!"_

_Jezebel looked up from her dolls. Her dad stood in the doorway._

_"Come on, baby girl," he said, scooping her up._

_"Where are we going, Daddy?" Jezebel asked. Daddy didn't answer until they were in the air. Already she could hear the sounds of something stomping and roaring and screaming townspeople._

_"Grandpa Mojo's," he replied._

_"Where's the Professor?" she asked, stumbling over her words._

_"The Professor's a little busy right now; Grandpa Mojo isn't," he said. "Don't worry, Jezzie, it won't be so bad."_

_Jezebel didn't reply, but over Daddy's shoulder she saw something big and blobby rearing over the Townsville skyline._

_"What's that?" she asked._

_"Trouble," Daddy replied. Jezebel studied it a little longer._

_"I wanna help," she said. "I wanna help fight."_

_"One day," Daddy laughed, lighting on Mojo's observatory's front step, "but right now you're still too little." He knocked on the door, and the stooped form of Jezebel's Grandpa Mojo appeared._

_"Here she is, safe and sound," Daddy said, transferring Jezebel to the floor beside Mojo. Jezebel looked up at her dad._

_"I assume it is my duty to be sure she remains so?" Mojo said grumpily, though he winked when Jezebel switched her attention to him._

_"Unless you want the wife to make an unexpected visit," Daddy replied. He smiled, but Jezebel didn't like it. It was a mean sort of smile._

_"What are you going to do, Daddy?" Jezebel asked suddenly. Daddy looked down at her and grinned the scary smile again._

_"Daddy's going to go a little crazy, Jezzie Bell," he replied. "Get inside and don't come out until your mom and I show up."_

_Jezebel nodded, but when the door was shut she zipped up to the opening of the telescope, where her brothers were already sandwiched. Jude grinned at her and let her sit on his shoulders. All through the fight her brothers talked amongst themselves, but Jezebel stayed silent, watching her daddy's every move with her super vision. She saw every punch, every ripped-off limb, every grimace, every laugh._

_And she learned._

* * *

><p>The house was quiet. Jezebel remembered days when she would have killed for it to be that way, but now it was just an empty sort of silence.<p>

She tossed aside her book (_Call of Cthulhu_, her favorite book) and left her room, walking through the house just to do something different. From the game room down the hall she heard Gabe and Troy yelling obscenities at each other and the clicking of their game controllers.

She didn't see Butch anywhere and assumed he was in the garage, pummeling the punching bag again. She floated down the stairs and over the carpet, opening the door of the garage quietly and slipping inside, sitting on the weight bench. Just as she suspected her father was there, aiming controlled punches at the punching bag. Judging by the grinding sounds he'd filled it with cement. She watched him for a little while, noting his look of concentration.

"Boo," she said softly, and Butch paused, his fist resting against the padding.

"Hey," he replied, his voice just as quiet. He turned around, picking up his towel and wiping his face. "What's up?"

She shrugged. Butch finished toweling off and pulled his shirt back on.

"Um…do you need to talk or something?" he asked. She shook her head, hopping to her feet.

"Just wondered what's for dinner," she said. Butch shrugged.

"Probably pizza or something," he replied. "Why, you hungry for something different?"

"No, pizza's fine," she shook her head. "Just a little bored, I guess."

"Well, you wanna go do something?" he asked. "Just you and me? We could catch a movie or grab a shake."

She shook her head. "Actually, Dad, can we spar or something?"

Butch grinned.

There was a specially-made room in the house that was made for the kind of fighting Butch and Buttercup's children liked to do. Jezebel had memories of being tossed in here after screaming at one of her brothers and being made to work their problems out in here, just in case (though it didn't stop her and Troy from blasting through walls of the house if their parents or Jude couldn't get the situation contained in time). She had a certain fondness for this room; it helped her stop thinking and let go of whatever was on her mind. And right now, she had a lot.

Sparring with her dad was always her favorite, too. She didn't feel like she had to hold back with him; he didn't go easy on her, and he didn't expect her to do anything less than her best. Whereas sparring with Jackie or Janey or even her brothers, she had to place a block on how much energy she exerted, with Butch, anything less than all would result in some pretty painful bruises.

They circled each other for a minute, Jezebel analyzing her father's languid walk. He was pretty routine; right when he suspected she least expected it he'd jump.

_Three…two…one…_

He lunged for her legs. She concentrated a quick blast of energy in the bottom of her feet and leapt up, tucking her arms and somersaulting up and around him. His hand came up to catch her hair, but she twisted midair, slamming one of her still-glowing feet into the side of his head. He fell, and she floated towards the upper corner, waiting for him to retaliate.

He did, shaking his head and spitting before rocketing up towards her. She pirouetted away again, this time creating a tornado of sea-green light and forming a rotating ball of energy in her hand. She released it in short staccato bursts, sending them flying in every direction with the tornado. Something crashed into her tornado, and Jezebel saw Butch bearing down on her with a shield extended in front of him.

"You're not trying hard enough, Jezzie Bell," he said in a sing-song voice, firing up his eyebeams and opening up a small hole in his shield to shoot at her. Jezebel took the opportunity and fired her own bolt into the hole, colliding with the emerging eyebeams and causing a small explosion. In the ensuing confusion while the vents sucked the smoke up and away from the arena Butch socked Jezebel a good one on the chin, which gave Jezebel the split-second opportunity to punch him in the stomach with lightning-quick jabs. She kicked off from him by planting her feet on his chest and powering up her feet again, blasting him back against the wall. He laughed, inspecting the already-healing burns on his chest and his shredded shirt.

"You're getting better with that," he said appreciatively, then created a shield and sent it careening towards her. Jezebel didn't have enough time or room to get out of the way and ended up squished between the wall and the shield. Butch stood up, limping a little towards her.

"Feel better?" he asked, and she sighed and nodded.

"As better as I guess I'm gonna get," she replied. "Let me up."

Butch complied and helped Jezebel to her feet, slinging his arm around her.

"You did really good," he praised. "If Brick could see the kind of stunts you pull in here he'd be scraping his jaw off the floor."

Jezebel smiled thinly.

"Seriously, kid, what's up?" he asked, leading her towards the kitchen and rummaging in the freezer for the ice cream. "You're usually not this quiet."

"Just bugged," she replied, hopping up on the counter and accepting the bowl of ice cream her dad handed her. "Mom's gone, exams coming up, more training." She sighed. "Dad, I'm not trying to get out of pulling my weight with the team, but if I go all-out, I'm afraid of accidentally hurting someone."

"See, when I was on a team," Butch said around a mouthful of ice cream, "I didn't give a crap. Brick pointed me in a direction and told me to go crazy. Your mom, on the other hand, went crazy in controlled amounts. Aunt Blossom never really reacted well when she took a monster out all by herself and nearly killed herself doing it." He chuckled to himself. "Man, when we were kids we used to almost level the entire city whenever we fought. Drove Brick and Blossom nuts."

Jezebel quietly ate her ice cream while Butch was lost in thought. He shook himself after a minute.

"Look, Jezzie, the best I know how to tell you is to stop being scared of hurting people and just do the job," he said finally. "I'm not the best example of control, but you're smarter than I am. You'll figure it out." He set his bowl in the sink and ruffled Jezebel's curly hair. "Come on. Help your old man out with dinner."

* * *

><p>Jezebel chewed the end of her pencil, scanning the questions repeatedly. The last exam of her sophomore year, and it was her worst subject. Typical.<p>

_(3x-18)(x+21)_

She doodled in the margins, thinking it over. She was pretty sure factoring had something to do with it, though she could never quite remember how to do it…

She focused on her doodle for a moment, shading in the hair and adding a little texture to the fabric of the shirt. She stared down at her mother's jaunty grin and sighed, scrubbing it out with her eraser and focusing back on the problem.

_(3x-18)(x+21)_

She checked her watch. Forty-five minutes until summer vacation. Not that it would be much of a vacation, with Uncle Brick working them to the bone every day.

_(3x-18)(x+21)_

_Come on, Jez. Concentrate._ Maybe she should add up the like terms…but no…that didn't seem right, hadn't she done the same thing to one of her homework problems and gotten it wrong? She looked at the window. Today was warm and cloudless, the perfect kind of sky to go flying in. She started remembering a day a few months ago with Buttercup and her brothers and shook herself. _Not now. Finish this problem._

_(3x-18)(x+21)_

She flipped through the rest of the test. Only two questions to go including this one. Thirty minutes until summer vacation. She glanced around the classroom, too quickly for the teacher to look up and accuse her of cheating. There was a boy in the corner with pale green skin who looked her way the minute she looked at him, flashing a smile. He wore dark shades and had incredible dark violet eyes. She hurriedly looked back at her paper.

_(3x-18)(x+21)_

Twenty minutes, and she was no closer to solving this problem than she was earlier. It mocked her, she grumbled, and it laughed at her sluggish brain. She stared at it a moment longer, letting it taunt her, and scribbled it out viciously and moved on to the next one.

She finished the last problem and turned her test paper over, kicking back in her seat and popping in her earbuds. She kept sneaking furtive looks at the boy in the corner, who seemed to be looking back at her just as often. Despite herself she bit her lip the fifth time their eyes met, looking determinedly down at her iPod. She wasn't used to this. Or rather, she wasn't used to this happening and it all not blowing up in her face.

At long last the final bell rang and Jezebel hurriedly gathered her stuff and zipped out of the classroom before the boy could come talk to her, zooming over the heads of her classmates towards the door and rocketing up into the sky. Not too far behind her came Janey, crowing and celebrating. Jackie was last, the smile on her face entirely too self-satisfied.

"Girls, put on your dancing shoes, we're going to a party tonight!" Janey said happily. Jezebel's smile lessened, and she clutched her binder to her chest as if to shield herself from Janey's enthusiasm (_as if such a thing were possible_, she thought).

"Where, when, and is there parental supervision?" Jackie rattled off her usual list of questions.

"Mimi's, seven-thirty, and come on. Would I really take you two to an unsupervised party?" Janey asked with a pained expression. At Jackie and Jezebel's deadpan expressions she huffed. "That was _once_, ladies. Let it go already."

"Sure. Sounds like fun," Jackie sighed, running her hand through her short auburn hair. "I think I can borrow one of Amanda's shirts for it."

"Please do," Janey nodded. "Jez?"

"I'm sorry, I've got plans," Jezebel shook her head, her grip on her binder tightening. Janey, who knew this excuse well, crossed her arms.

"Jezebel. Honey. Darling. Sweet cousin of mine. You're never going to get a date by sitting at home listening to…whatever obscure band it is that you listen to," Janey put her hands on either side of Jezebel's face. "Come with us. It'll do you good."

"No," Jezebel shrugged out of Janey's reach, "I think I'm really better off by myself tonight. There's a cup of tea and a vampire novel with my name on it at home."

"Come on, Jezzie, live a little," Jackie pleaded. "You almost never come out with us. Just this once. Oh, and you've got to come to Rob's party at the end of the summer, so just this twice."

Jezebel frowned wistfully. "Well…" That cup of tea really did sound inviting right now….

"_Please_, Jezebel?" Janey begged, opening her sky-blue eyes as wide as they would go and sticking out her bottom lip. Jezebel could only take so much of the pout before sighing and nodding.

"Fine," she agreed, "I'll go. But if it sucks, I'm leaving."

"Yay!" Janey shrieked, throwing her arms around Jezebel. "Awesome! Okay, I'll be over at your house at five to start getting you ready, or you could come to mine, because Jackie's coming over as soon as she's dressed—"

"I am?" Jackie asked mildly, letting Janey roll on with her plans. Jezebel looked at Jackie and rolled her eyes, which Jackie grinned at. Janey linked arms with them, pulling them towards Townsville Mall for celebratory after-school shakes. Jezebel quelled the nerves popping up in her stomach and grasped for her usual tranquility. _It's gonna be fine. It's just a party. This is what normal teenagers do._

She abruptly wished her mom was there; Buttercup always said she was no good at parties, either, but she always encouraged Jezebel to take part. She even drove Jezebel to her first one, and picked her up fifteen minutes later when Jezebel called, in hysterics and covered in lime Jell-O (Queenie paid dearly for the slight when Janey shaved her right down the middle of her scalp). Wherever in the world her mom was, Jezebel just hoped she was doing okay.

* * *

><p>AN: Hey, guys. Jezzie's chapter. :D This didn't come out quite how I wanted it to and it's shorter than I would like, but I really need the party to be in Jackie's perspective, so there.

Review and tell me what's up. Things should start picking up soon. :)


	4. Chapter 4: Clammy

Chapter Four: Clammy

_Jackie fidgeted, scuffing the toe of her sneaker in the carpet, as Mom and Dad looked over her report card. Finally, one of them spoke._

_"Jackelin," Dad said calmly, "this is unacceptable."_

_"You're smarter than this, honey," Mom shook the report card at her. "What's going on? You told me you liked middle school."_

_"Well, it stinks," Jackie said harshly. "Everyone sucks."_

_"That doesn't excuse your grades," Dad replied. "Do you know what Bs and Cs mean?"_

_"That I'm normal," Jackie burst out. "You really want to know what's going on? People started making fun of me for being the smartest kid in class. I bombed a few tests to make up the difference. What's the big deal?"_

_"They don't mean that you're normal," Dad said, as Mom put her arm around Jackie and squeezed a little. "They mean that you're average. Mediocre. I expect more from you."_

_"It's not fair that some other kids are making fun of you," Mom said gently, "but that just means that they're jealous."_

_"Why would they be jealous? I'm just a freaky nerd," Jackie protested, spitting out the two words that haunted her most. Dad sighed and Mom did her sympathetic eyes again._

_"People try to destroy what they don't understand," Dad said finally. "You, Jackie, are special. You're better than everyone who tries to bring you down, only as long as you don't let them get to you."_

_"But it's really hard," Jackie protested. "They won't leave me alone. They keep tagging my locker. They throw food at me in the lunchroom. I tried going to the teachers but they only left me alone for a week and then got worse and called me a tattle-tale."_

_"Sometimes, sweetheart, you need to show those bullies who's boss," Mom said carefully. "Are any of them in PE with you?"_

_"Um…yeah, most of them are," Jackie nodded._

_"Here's what I want you to do," Dad leaned forward, and Jackie noticed his eyes started glowing a little. "Next time one of them says something derogatory or tries to make you feel bad, you do something a little…less than normal."_

_"Like…like hit one of them?" Jackie asked hopefully._

_"No," Mom scolded, "but it would be alright to accidentally throw a ball too hard. Do you catch our drift?"_

_Jackie nodded, grinning, and after a week or so the name-calling stopped. Her grades zipped back up. And best of all, she had the immense pleasure of turning every single sports team down when they offered her positions._

Jackie winced and held her phone about an arm's length away as Mimi screeched unintelligibly for about ten seconds. Janey, who was straightening her hair, laughed.

"Mimi, you realize being friends with you is like being friends with a talkative gerbil, right?" Jackie said when Mimi paused for breath. "What is it now?"

"_He's coming_," Mimi said dramatically. "Duke Morbucks. Remember, I told you about him last week? And ouch."

"I only say it because I love you," Jackie winked at Jezebel, who snorted. "I guess that's useful knowledge, but you couldn't have waited until we actually got to your house before calling?"

"Well, I only just received the reply," Mimi said. "I sent an invite to Queenie—Mom forced me, don't ask—and she told me today that she wasn't going to come, but her brother wanted to."

"And she was that nice about it?" Janey asked, raising her voice so Mimi could hear through the speakerphone.

"Well, she might have been a little less than polite," Mimi laughed. "From how she talks, though, I don't think she likes her brother all that much."

"Hmm. The enemy of my enemy is my friend sort of deal?" Janey asked.

"Or boyfriend," Mimi replied cheekily. "Either way, I received a message from him this afternoon. He sent his personal butler and everything. He's got _beautiful_ handwriting, Jackie, I wish you could see it."

"He's probably got a personal secretary with beautiful writing," Jackie corrected. "Oh, hey, Mimi, your parents are going to be there, right?"

"_Yes_, Miss Priss," Mimi sighed. "And even if they weren't you know I keep a heavy padlock on the wine rack."

"When you know I'm coming, anyway," Jackie teased.

"True enough," Mimi giggled. "Okay, I'll see you three in a couple hours. Jezzie, that means you, too, okay?"

"Sure," Jezebel called. "Excuse me while I make my last will and testament."

"Such a prima donna," Mimi sighed.

"Well, look at the pot calling the kettle black," Jackie chuckled. Mimi _hmphed_ and hung up.

"There," Janey said, ruffling Jackie's hair a little. "Gorgeous. What do you think?"

"I think it needs more volume," Jackie said nervously, fluffing out her smooth hair. "I dunno. What do you think, Jezzie?"

"I think you're worrying too much," Jezebel replied, looking up from her book. "You look great in anything."

Jackie returned to the mirror, studied herself a bit more, gave her hair one last flick, and reconciled herself to it.

"Okay," Janey pushed Jackie out of the chair, "Jezebel, get your gloom-and-doom tush in this chair."

"Must I?" Jezebel intoned, getting up and sitting in the chair with all the air of submitting to the most gruesome torture. Janey ignored her and started playing with her hair, thinking.

"Aha!" she snapped her fingers, and grabbed a brush. "Jackie, I'm going to need your help in a minute."

"Janey, you're making me nervous," Jezebel said, watching as Janey carefully brushed out her hair. She didn't reply, beckoning Jackie for her assistance. Together, the two of them managed to coax Jezebel's usually untamable frizz into a braid, with a few loose curls falling around her face. Jezebel looked at herself from all angles. Jackie grinned.

"That's really pretty, Jez," she said.

"Of course it is," Janey sniffed, hip-bumping Jezebel out of the chair and sitting down to work on her own hair. "You'll have to beat all the boys off with a stick."

"That's encouraging," Jezebel said, fascinated and satisfied despite herself. Janey undid her own usual braids, picked up the straightener for a minute, then tossed her golden mane upside down and shook it out. When she flipped it back up it was a softly wavy masterpiece. She pulled some of it back and pinned it and then grinned at herself.

"I hate you," Jackie grumped, sweeping her bangs out of her face. "Where's your makeup box?"

Janey took over the makeup, as well, and after a short battle won the right of getting Jezebel out of her usual graphic t-shirt and into one of her own blouses, a peasant blouse with a long necklace that looked great with her braid. She looked over Jackie's outfit and added a light jacket with her layered tanks, and then changed into a dress that she belted around the middle and wore with high-heeled boots.

"Okay, ladies," Janey rubbed her hands together, "off we go."

Jackie noticed Jezebel was looking a little green and linked arms with her, smiling.

"Chill out," she said softly. "It's not a big deal. You can hang around me all night."

Jezebel nodded, but Jackie didn't think the thought helped her much. They floated all the way there, careful not to mess up their hair too much, and settled gently on Mimi's doorstep. They were the first ones besides Rob, whose vomit-green Jeep was already parked in front of Mimi's driveway. Rob himself was the one who answered the door, a big smile already on his face.

"Evening, ladies," he said, letting them in. "You're all looking fantastic, as usual."

"Did you have to bring the Pukemobile?" Janey asked, wrinkling her nose.

"I'll have you know that Fitzgibbon has served me well since I got my license," Rob sniffed. "He's a perfectly trustworthy vehicle."

"Uh-huh. Is 'trustworthy' synonymous with 'piece of crap' in this instance?" Janey rolled her eyes. Jackie left them to their bickering and went to find Mimi, who was pacing the kitchen.

"Quick!" she cried, shoving a ladle at Jackie, "taste this and see if it tastes good!"

"I'm sure it tastes fine," Jackie soothed, taking a sip and finding the punch in need of more sugar. "The snacks look good."

"Yeah. Mom let me invite a lot more boys than I'm used to entertaining, so I hope they don't eat everything in the first five minutes," Mimi wrung her hands. "Jezebel, did you have to bring the book?"

"Yes," Jezebel sniffed, smoothing the pages of her book out. "It'll help pass the time."

All too soon the doorbell began ringing, and within another hour the house was full of gabbing, dancing, socializing teenagers. Jackie looked around for her friend Bess and wasn't disappointed; she was just walking in.

"Bess!" Jackie squealed, hugging her as she entered. Bess hugged her back and kicked her shoes off with everyone else's.

"What did I miss?" she asked, weaving through the crowd.

"Nothing much just yet, but if Janey's sugar intake goes any higher there's going to be an incident on the dance floor," Jackie nodded towards her cousin, who was laughing uproariously with Rob and flirting with the ring of guys gathered around her. "We're waiting on the arrival of Mimi's VIP."

"Ooh, do tell," Bess grinned, hopping on a barstool and crossing her legs, dark blue eyes sparkling.

"Queenie has a twin brother who deigned to come and visit," Jackie explained. "Mimi's got it in her head that I care or something."

Bess didn't respond, just smiled and hummed along with the music. Another half an hour passed before a particularly loud knock rang on the door and the party guests quieted, all turning towards the door. Mimi leaped forward, her face shining with anticipation. The room, particularly the female portion, leaned towards the entrance to catch a glimpse of the new party guest.

Mimi opened the door and smiled.

"Duke, hi," she said, extending her hand. "I'm Mimi. Thanks for coming."

"Thanks for inviting me," came the baritone reply, and in stepped Duke Morbucks. Despite herself Jackie gasped a little in her throat. She saw, in the corner of her eye, Jezebel do a double-take, and Janey smile flirtatiously.

That he was handsome absolutely no one could contest; what _could_ be contested was his relation to Queenie at all. He was tall and lean, with light brown hair and eyes the color of warm honey, as opposed to his twin's short, dark-eyed, redheaded figure. Where Queenie had a pinched-up face his was relaxed and long, and where her nose turned up his was distinctly straight. He looked around the room languidly, as if used to being in the center of attention.

"Hello," he said in a cultured voice, waving a little. "Duke Morbucks."

For a moment no one spoke; then Janey pushed her way through the gaping crowd and held out her hand.

"Janey Utonium," she said, flashing her best smile. "Welcome to Townsville."

After that the party relaxed, if with more hushed gossip about their new addition.

"So?" Bess asked. "What do you think of him now?"

"A pretty face," Jackie winked, "but he's still a Morbucks."

"Don't look now, but Janey's bringing him over," Bess said. "Rob looks a little jealous."

"Of course he is. He's not the center of attention right now," Jackie laughed, noticing with dread that Janey was, indeed, leading Duke towards her.

"Duke," Janey said, skidding to a stop in front of Jackie and Bess, "this is my cousin, Jackie, and her friend Bess."

"_Enchanté,_" Duke said, taking Jackie's hand and bringing it to his lips. Bess smothered a high-pitched keen by biting her lips. "It's an honor to meet you both. I've heard so much about you from my sister."

"Nothing good, I hope," Jackie quirked a smile. Duke laughed.

"Oh, no, she tells the most awful horror stories," he chuckled. "I'm quite impressed. And charmed." He did a little bow. "I hope we meet again tonight. I'm afraid Janey has taken the liberty of introducing me to the entire room."

"You'll thank me later," Janey promised, dragging him off to introduce him to Jezebel. Jackie sat back against the bar and let her breath escape her in a slow drawl. Bess nudged her.

"So?" she asked. "What's the buzz now?"

"A pretty face and a pretty voice," Jackie tried her best to sound dismissive, "but still related to Queenie and therefore a pariah in my book."

"Uh-huh," Bess rolled her eyes, downing her punch. "Ugh. This needs more sugar. But I'll give you a month, and you'll be hot after him just like the rest of us."

"Bess," Jackie said patiently, "we've been friends since seventh grade, and I trust your judgment most of the time, but if you keep talking about Duke Morbucks like you expect me to slobber over the ground he walks on, I'll have to hurt you."

Bess held up her hands and conceded defeat. Jackie glanced over at Jezebel; her head was buried in her book, but her ears were bright red.

"Hang on a sec, Bess," Jackie stood, walking towards Jezebel and settling next to her. "Jez? You okay?"

"He's a very good speaker," Jezebel said, her voice muffled in the pages of her book. She peeked over the cover, sea-green eyes riveted on Jackie. "I don't think he's all that bad."

"Oh, no, how the mighty fall!" Jackie lamented, slinging her arm around Jezebel's shoulders. "Say it ain't so, Joe!"

"Oh, shut up," Jezebel muttered, burrowing back into her book.

"Okay, I'm sorry," Jackie grinned. "I just don't see what everyone's getting worked up about."

Jezebel peeked over her book again, this time with an "I don't believe you" expression in her eyes.

"Alright," Jackie backtracked, "I understand why he's perceived as being attractive. Bess, Mimi, and Janey are all getting on my nerves, is all."

Jezebel harrumphed and returned to her book. Jackie looked around for a few minutes, then returned to Jezebel.

"Say, Jez, have you danced at all tonight?"

"No," she muttered into her book. "Do I ever?"

"Well…no, but I just wondered…" Jackie scanned the crowd. "Hang on a sec."

"Oh, no, Jackie, don't—" Jezebel tried to get Jackie to sit back down, but she was already gone, searching for her intended target.

"Hey, Rob?" Jackie tapped on her friend's shoulder and realized she'd interrupted him talking with Duke. She determinedly ignored him and focused on Rob. "Jezzie's been sitting down reading this entire time. Do you mind asking her to dance?"

"I will," Duke spoke up, but before Jackie could stop him he was already walking towards Jezebel. Rob and Jackie watched, dumbstruck, as Duke got Jezebel's attention and drew her out on the dance floor, a bewildered expression on her face.

"I…I didn't see that coming," Rob said eventually. Jackie nodded, watching as Duke guided her through a waltz (which, although the song was a bit too peppy for it, looked beautiful).

"I don't think Jezebel's ever been asked to dance before," Jackie confided, observing her cousin's bright red face.

"That's a real shame," Rob said. "She's so pretty."

Jackie shoved Rob playfully and he elaborated. "I mean, as a friend and practically brother, she's a pretty girl, and if I didn't consider her my sister I might consider asking her out," he shoved her back, grinning. "Besides," he went on, "there's, uh…there's another sweet thang in this room who's managed to catch my eye. Oh, don't flatter yourself, it's not you," he chuckled as Jackie stared at him, momentarily panicked, "and I'm not going to tell you outright who she is, but if all goes according to plan, you'll be informed very soon."

"That's the thing about plans, Rob," Jackie said, turning back to watching Duke and Jezebel, "they hardly ever work exactly how you expect them to."

Jackie kept a close eye on Duke the entire night, making careful notes as to who he talked to, who he danced with, which girls he made swoon when he walked away. To her displeasure, he seemed the perfect party guest; he talked to everyone and appeared genuinely pleased with the company. Bess shook her shoulder a little.

"Jack," Bess said, "you're overreacting. Look away from the eye candy for a minute and chill."

Jackie sighed, sitting back against the bar. Jezebel, after dancing with Duke, had dispensed with her book and was now sitting on Jackie's other side, eyeing the party with a measure of hopeful disinterest.

"Jackie?" Duke came up in front of her suddenly, and Jackie jumped a little. She'd lost track of him in trying to relax. He held out his hand. "Would you care to dance?"

"She'd love to," Bess said, and together Bess and Jezebel pushed Jackie on her feet and almost right into Duke's arms. Jackie threw a look of deep betrayal at them over her shoulder, but allowed Duke to lead her out. It was another slower song, which was a good indicator he'd be waltzing or something. As she expected, he spun her out and back in upon reaching the center of the room. They swayed for a moment before he spun her around facing him and then relaxed, putting both of his hands on her waist. She cautiously put her hands on his shoulders.

"Are you having a nice time?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied, but said nothing else. This didn't seem to deter him; he smiled peacefully and moved on to the next topic of conversation.

"Your friend Mimi is quite the character," he said. "She was very generous in inviting me."

"Yeah, that's how she is," Jackie nodded, deciding small talk was better than awkward silence. "She can't stand leaving anyone out."

"Your cousins are both equally friendly," Duke continued. "I can't thank Janey enough for showing me around."

"That's just Janey," Jackie grinned. "She can't help herself around new meat."

"New meat?" Duke quirked an eyebrow. Jackie flushed despite herself. "That's a new one." He dipped her and brought her back up before she had time to recover. "Jezebel is nice enough, but she seemed anxious when I asked her to dance."

"Jezzie…Jezebel doesn't get asked out a lot," Jackie said quietly, looking over at her dark-haired cousin. "She doesn't let people get close to her easily. Most guys are intimidated by the whole super power thing, too."

"Ah," Duke nodded, "I heard you Utonium girls were special. Perhaps Jezebel just needs a gentle push in the right direction."

"More like an almighty shove," Jackie muttered, glaring affectionately at Bess and Jezebel, who were now grinning and laughing at her. Jackie suddenly realized the song was over and hurriedly let Duke go, backing away.

"Um…thanks, I guess," Jackie said, turning red when Duke took her hand and bowed low over it.

"Until we meet again, _ma cherie_," he murmured, grinning at her with those suddenly gorgeous amber eyes of his. Jackie nodded, turned around, and returned to her seat, dazzled.

"I knew it," Bess hissed to Jezebel, which was all Jackie needed to shake herself back to awareness.

"Shut up," she grumbled. "I was momentarily blinded by his masculine wiles. I'm fine now."

"Uh-huh," Jezebel chuckled, taking out her book again and curling up on her barstool to read.

The party ended around one in the morning and people started trickling home. Eventually it was only a half-asleep Mimi, Jackie, Janey, Jezebel, Rob, and Duke left. Duke made his eloquent bows and left, at which point Mimi turned to the others, glowing despite her exhaustion.

"Take a long look, girls," she sighed, peeking out her window at Duke's retreating form. "There goes the most perfect guy on the face of the planet. Congrats, Jack."

"Oh, no, you're not pinning him on me," Jackie said stoutly. "It was one dance. I doubt it if we'll ever speak again."

"But—" Mimi and Janey both protested, to be cut off by Jackie's stern glare.

"Goodnight, Mimi," she said firmly. "Great party."

The girls and Rob said their goodbyes to Mimi and walked outside. Rob sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"Man, I'm tired," he yawned. "Well, goodnight, gal pals.

"Oh, no," Janey said, snatching his keys, "you're not driving when you can hardly keep your eyes open. I'll drive."

"Really?" Rob grinned lazily. "You'll willingly be seen in the Pukemobile?"

"It's the middle of the night. No one'll see," Janey said briskly. "Well, I'll see you two tomorrow."

"Bright and early," Jackie groaned, realizing tomorrow was their first day of hard training. "Please don't oversleep, Janey, you know Dad will just come and get you if you don't show up."

"I won't," Janey promised. "Come on, Rob." She and Rob exited via Pukemobile and Jezebel and Jackie took off, winging through the night sky.

"Something on your mind, Jezzie?" Jackie asked. Jezebel shrugged.

"That was really nice of Duke," she replied. "Thanks for asking him."

"I didn't. I was asking Rob, but Duke jumped in," Jackie said. "I guess that makes him less of a dirtbag than I was expecting."

"Y'know, for someone who can get up in front of the entire student body and preach tolerance 'til you're blue in the face, you're awfully biased," Jezebel chuckled. "Just because he's a Morbucks doesn't mean he's a jerk. Did you know he grew up completely separated from his family? He told me he's lived most of his life in Europe. That's why he has an accent."

"Huh." Jackie digested this tidbit and filed it away. "Well, this is my stop. Goodnight, Jez."

"'Night," Jezebel kept flying while Jackie descended. She dug around in her pocket for her key and felt something foreign poke her hand. She withdrew a piece of ivory cardstock folded in half with something written on it.

_555-683-2911. I hope you'll give me a call soon. Until then, ma cherie._

He really _did_ have pretty handwriting, Jackie thought, shoving the number back in her pocket. She had to remember to take it out later. If her dad found it he'd kill her.

* * *

><p>AN: Look at your OC. Now back to Duke. Now back to your OC, now BACK to Duke. Sadly, he isn't Duke. But can he smell like Duke? Yes! If he'd stop using depth and character development and start using Gary Stu Body Wash, he could smell like the man your readers will want to punt into next week!

(Here's a hint, darlings: his Gary Stu-ness is important.)

Reviews, por favor.


	5. Chapter 5: Dirty Work

Chapter Five: Dirty Work

_"Wow, Mom," Janey gasped as Mom zoomed back into the house, "that was awesome! How do you do it?"_

_"Hard work and practice," Mom winked, settling into the couch. "Get me a cup of water, would you, sweetie?"_

_Janey complied and fetched the drink while Mom fanned herself and returned her breathing to normal. _

_"I know I couldn't do it," Janey said, curling up next to her mother. "It looks like too much work."_

_"It's difficult," Mom nodded, "and it takes a lot of time, but you know what?"_

_"What?"_

_"I wouldn't trade it for anything," she smiled. "Getting to help people is the greatest thing in the world." She paused for a minute. "One day, Janey, that might be you out there taking my place."_

_"What?" Janey laughed. "That's ridiculous. I could never take your place."_

_"Janey," Mom said, and she had her serious face on, "one day it just might be you out there instead of me. I need you to promise me that if you do decide to pick up my slack, you'll commit. Don't just do it because it needs to be done or others expect you to. Do it because you want to."_

_Years later Janey forgot the majority of this conversation, but she remembered the dead-serious look on her mom's face and the feeling that she knew more than she was letting on._

* * *

><p>Janey dragged herself out of bed to brutally murder her alarm clock by way of baseball bat at seven. Once the deed was done she crawled back in bed, dozed for a minute or two, woke up suddenly and panicked, and then groaned when she realized both that she had no idea what time it was and if she didn't get up now she'd have to go to training without either breakfast or shower.<p>

She went in the kitchen and dug out the package of bacon she and her dad stashed under the pudding cups. For Bubbles' sake her husband and children ate mostly-vegetarian meals, but for the times when what Boomer called the "carnivorous madness" came upon them (usually when Bubbles was out of the house), they kept such precious cargo as bacon, ground beef, and chicken nuggets hidden around the house. Bubbles, who knew perfectly well where said treasures lay, realized her way of life wasn't for everyone and allowed them their occasional indulgence.

Drew wandered into the kitchen as Janey started cooking, rubbing his eyes and sitting down at the table.

"Morning, little man," Janey grinned. "You hungry?"

Drew nodded groggily and Janey added another slice of bacon. Next came Marcus, then Sydney, then Boomer, and Janey found herself cooking about eight slices of bacon and beating up enough scrambled eggs for the five of them. She checked the clock. Seven-twenty.

"What's the occasion?" Boomer asked as Janey set the eggs and bacon on the table and started whipping up some chocolate chip pancakes. Janey shrugged, preferring not to talk until she had some food in her system. She stopped the coffee maker and set her father's mug in front of him, kissing his cheek and returning to making breakfast.

By the time the pancakes were done the twins and Drew were more lively, Sydney yelling at the top of her voice to be heard over Drew and Marcus' arguing and Boomer hiding behind his newspaper, sipping his coffee.

"Marcus, Drew, chill out," Janey said, putting the stack of pancakes on the table. "Syd, if you don't stop screaming I'm going to break your dolls' heads off and bury them in the backyard." Sydney knew Janey would never actually do it, but she hurriedly closed her mouth, just in case (she'd seen the wreckage of Janey's alarm clock this morning, after all).

Once breakfast was over Janey took a quick shower and redid her braids, changing into a pair of blue shorts and a white t-shirt. She laced on her sneakers and bounced on her toes, waiting for Boomer to come back into the living room so they could leave. In about ten minutes he was ready, tugging on his dark blue baseball cap and eyeing the hem of Janey's shorts disapprovingly.

"Janey baby, don't you have any longer shorts?"

Janey just grinned and exited, taking off for Jackie's house while Boomer got the other kids rounded up and followed. Jezebel was already there, stretching in the backyard and shaking out her limbs like she was getting rid of jitters.

"Ready for this?" Janey asked, bouncing again. Jezebel nodded, letting out a breath slow and steady as she bent and grasped her ankles, stretching out her legs.

Janey, Jezebel, Boomer, and Butch moved as one for the basement, where Jackie and Brick were doing a light warm-up fight. The other four watched for a minute. Jackie's movements were so fluid she looked like she was dancing, Brick guiding and mirroring her perfectly. With their faces scrunched up and their eyes narrowed in concentration, Janey thought they looked scarily alike. Butch knocked on the window of the simulator and Jackie and Brick froze, looking towards the window. Janey waved, and they came inside the observation room. Jackie offered a smile for her cousins and fell in beside them. Brick stood in front of the girls with his hands clasped behind his back; his brothers went to the chairs and lounged in them.

"Good morning," he said.

"Is it?" Janey murmured. Jackie bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"In the simulator," he said, indicating the open door. "You've been fighting on level seventeen up until now. We're kicking it up to twenty-three."

"Twenty-three?" Jackie asked nervously.

"Brick, I don't think—" Boomer began.

"I know you don't. It'll be fine. They need to do this," Brick cut across his protest with a hint of a smirk. Butch chuckled and Boomer sat back in his chair, disgruntled. Jackie led her team into the simulator and looked at them for a minute.

"Ready?" she asked quietly. Janey felt the nervous tension in her arms and legs and bounced, nodding tersely. Jezebel jerked her head in agreement.

The clicking of the level indicator seemed to echo especially loud in Janey's ears, and Townsville materialized around them. It was a Townsville all too familiar to all three girls; ruby sky, buildings aflame, screaming civilians, and in the distance the roar of a totally teed-off monster.

"Let's get to work," Jackie said, blasting into the virtual sky. "Follow me, and keep within earshot."

Janey and Jezebel followed suit, keeping to Jackie's sides. The monster came into view soon enough, a several hundred stories-tall cephalopod with a gnashing beak jutting out from between its tentacles.

"Fire up the eyebeams, and circle it," Jackie ordered. "Try to sever its legs; if it can't move, we can take it down from there."

Janey veered off to the left as Jezebel went right and Jackie flew right over the top of it, blasting with scarlet eye lasers. The tentacles cleaved easily enough under the concentrated heat, but as Jezebel and Janey passed each other and Jackie joined them they all noticed with horror that it was re-growing its tentacles, two sprouting from the stumps of the former limbs. The monster screeched and laid about with its tentacles and the girls zigzagged out of reach, regrouping high above it.

"Okay, that's good to know," Jackie said optimistically. "I didn't even make a dent in the body, so lasers won't work there."

"How are we going to immobilize the tentacles? We can't get close to it without taking those out," Jezebel noted as the beast flailed about.

"Wasn't there a story in English like this?" Janey asked. "Jez, you're the nerd around here. What was that story about the thing with the multiple heads?"

"The hydra," Jezebel corrected. "And I don't know if we can do the same thing Hercules did. Our eyebeams are super hot; they should have cauterized and sealed the limbs the second they cut through."

"It's worth a shot, right?" Janey turned to Jackie. "If I slice and dice while Jezebel seals them up with some hand blasts or something? Concentrate the heat more?"

"Only one way to find out," Jackie nodded. "You two try that out while I muzzle this thing."

They dived towards it, Janey and Jezebel angling for one of the tentacles while Jackie bent a fallen steel beam from a nearby construction site to shut the monster's beak with. Janey sliced through the tentacle she and Jezebel were aiming for and Jezebel turned herself into a tornado and zipped across the gaping wound. To Janey's delight it worked, though the two new tentacles had already started growing before Jezebel finished. The malformed tentacles wiggled uselessly and Jezebel rejoined Janey, panting.

"Okay, it's possible," she gasped, "but it takes too long. There's got to be a faster way to do this." She flicked a chunk of monster meat off her sleeve. "And for the record? Ew."

"Okay, it sounds like Jackie managed to silence the thing," Janey remarked as the monster's muted roars met her ears, "so I think we can keep slicing and frying. If Jackie helps the sealing part should be quicker."

Jackie seemed to be thinking the same thing; she issued the same terse orders a second later when she rejoined the other two. Janey took over slicing tentacles while Jackie and Jezebel sealed up the wounds, which now that there were two of them whirling in a magenta and sea-green torrent of energy, took twice as fast. Once all the tentacles were stopped up the monster rocked back and forth, glaring at the girls as they circled up and hovered over the body.

"The body is extremely durable and pretty tough," Jackie said. "We can't just punch the thing into submission, and our eyebeams have no effect. What we need to do is—Janey!"

Janey, who was officially sick of the monster and ready to leave, took a long dive towards the monster, spinning and concentrating a hot orb of energy in the tips of her fingers held over her head. Her momentum and the heat of her blast sunk her deep into the monster, right between the eyes. The skin stretched, but Janey kept spinning and digging deeper; it burst, and Janey kept rocketing around the goopy insides, making it boil and roil until it exploded, coating the virtual world and her teammates in pink monster guts.

"Janey!" Jackie yelled, red in the face, and the scenery and the goop around them faded as the simulation room returned to its usual bare insides. The monster gut stench remained fresh in Janey's nose as she floated innocently back to her cousins.

"What?" she asked. "I got rid of it. We get to go home now. Whee."

"The point was to act as a team," Jackie said through gritted teeth. "Look, that was pretty cool and it worked and everything, but what if it didn't? What if you managed to get yourself seriously injured and Jezebel and I couldn't get to you in time?"

"It did work. I'm not. Stop freaking out." Janey rolled her eyes. "The thing was dead meat anyway. It's not like I went at it while it still had its arms."

"Outside, girls," Brick's voice echoed in the chamber, and judging by the acid tone he wasn't pleased, either. The girls filed out, Janey feeling resentment building up in her stomach at Jackie and Brick's twin displeased expressions.

"That was very clever, sealing the tentacles like you did," he said, "and Jackie, good strength control with the beam. Janey, you might have defeated the monster, but you did it without your teammates and without consulting your leader first."

"What does it matter?" Janey huffed. "I killed it. It's not coming back. The others didn't have to strain themselves."

"That's not the point!" Jackie cried. "The _point_ of this exercise was to test us as a team, not as individuals! If all three of us had gone at it like you did, at the same time, there's a chance we could have killed it in a fraction of the time it took you to! Maybe, with all three of us, there would have been less of a mess! I guess we'll never know now, _will we?_"

"Stop it," Brick said quietly as Janey opened her mouth to retaliate. "Janey, that was a great move. It showed real ingenuity. But until you three are capable of functioning as a true team unit and not just three little girls tossing ideas around while the monster rages, no going solo like that. Did you know, all of you, that the monster managed to take out Town Hall while you were figuring out what to do?"

"We weren't aware of the monster's abilities," Jackie protested. "We were trying to—"

"The people of Townsville won't see it like that," Brick said gently. "They'll see you three lollygagging while their city is destroyed. You need to have strategies you can put in place for different situations, plans that all three of you know by heart and can execute when Jackie calls its name. That will increase your efficiency and your team unity." He took in the reddened faces of Jackie and Janey and noticed Jezebel was looking remarkably calm. "Jezebel? Did you have something you wanted to add?"

She shook her head. Brick studied her for a minute and turned to his brothers. "Anything you two would like to say?"

"Nice eye power, kiddo," Boomer grinned, flashing a thumb's-up at Janey. "And the twisty thing you did at the end, that was pretty sweet."

"Good job," Butch nodded at Jezebel. "I think you can give it a little more juice, though." She frowned a little at his pointed stare.

"Take a break to drink some water and then get back in there," Brick ordered. "We've got a long day ahead of us."

Janey looked at him in horror and groaned.

* * *

><p>All three girls laid on the floor of the simulator once Brick called it a day, soaked in sweat and sucking breath into their aching bodies.<p>

"I never want to see another monster again for as long as I live," Janey panted, attempting to raise her arms and giving up.

"My muscles are killing me," Jezebel muttered.

"Cheer up, girls," Jackie laughed, wincing as she sat up. "I think Dad's pleased with us."

"What gave him away?" Janey grumbled. "The constantly disappointed look on his face or the fact that he worked us for six hours with no lunch?"

"You don't hear him complaining, so I think today was a promising start," Jackie replied. "How's the arm, Jez?"

"Healing," Jezebel grunted; she'd accidentally gotten her arm twisted too far the wrong way when Jackie tossed her out of the path of one of the monsters' sonic screams. "I could go for a pot of soup right now."

"Ooh, maybe with a Rueben Panini and Coke," Janey sighed, licking her lips.

"And an entire vat of cookie dough for dessert," Jackie whispered reverently, laying back down. "'Course, I'll have to swear off sugar for the next few weeks, but still. Worth it."

They lay there for another few minutes, then one by one hauled themselves to their feet and left the training room, stiff and grimacing. A familiar smell tickled Janey's nose.

"Uncle Butch is grilling," she moaned, her mouth filling with saliva.

"He's got to be the most wonderful person I've ever met," Jackie smiled, floating to save her legs the trouble of walking.

"It's even better if there's potato salad to go with it," Jezebel mentioned. "Jackie, please tell me that's the sound of your dad boiling potatoes I hear."

When the girls finally materialized upstairs they found Brick salting some boiling potatoes and Butch outside manning his enormous wood-burning grill. Boomer was busy keeping the little kids out of the way of his brothers, and the girls collapsed with a sigh onto the couch, taking in the smells around them.

"Heavenly," Janey sighed contentedly. "Jack, pass the remote."

"Nope," Jackie grinned, switching on the TV. "My house, my rules."

"It's summer. It'll all be reruns," Jezebel said. After a brief squabble they settled on an old black-and-white movie that looked interesting enough and waited for the late lunch to be finished.

Janey heard her phone go off on the kitchen counter and hauled herself up to answer it. It was a text from Rob, informing her of his plans to see a movie later that night and asking her if she wanted to come. She thought about it, gauging her limb strength. At most all she could do was float right now; flying felt like completely out of the question. The thought of walking made her legs seize up.

_Sure_, she texted back, _if it's a late show. I'm pretty beat right now._

_Training?_ He inquired.

_Yep. Be glad you don't have superpowers and an obligation to save the people of Townsville,_ she replied wryly. He send a smiley face back and she closed her phone, dozing.

The families were digesting dinner when the familiar buzzing chirped in the living room. Jackie raised her head off her arms to see the hotline phone blinking urgently. Brick was the first up and answered it.

"Yes, Mayor?" he asked, looking significantly at his brothers. "Yes, ma'am. We're on our way." He put the phone down. "Boys, up and at 'em. Butch, call one of your sons and tell them to get over here to watch the kids. Girls, you're with us."

"What?" Janey complained. "I can barely move!"

"I'm aware of that fact. You're coming to observe," Brick replied, a hint of danger in his voice. Janey repented her outburst immediately. "We're not the Powerpuff Girls, but we work similarly. This is a chance for you to watch a real team in action."

"We're right behind you," Jackie nodded, hauling Janey and Jezebel to their feet. Admittedly, the girls were feeling much better now that they had food in their systems, but still unequal to actually fighting a monster.

Brick, Boomer, and Butch jetted into the sky the second they were outside, a dark rainbow against the sky. Jackie, Janey, and Jezebel followed, scanning the skyline for signs of the monster.

It reared its ugly head soon enough, an enormous lizard that would have done Godzilla proud. The girls lighted onto the top of a skyscraper, watching carefully as their fathers zoomed towards the monster.

Even Janey couldn't deny that there was something fluid and efficient about the way the Boys worked; having grown up watching their mothers take down monsters, the style their fathers worked with was decidedly different. They were a little more careless with regards to Townsville's buildings and citizens (though all three could hear Brick periodically yelling at his brothers, in less than pristine language, to tighten up their movements and stop being so sloppy), and the monster got a much quicker, fiercer beatdown than if the Girls were facing it. The last blow dealt was by Butch; he picked the thing up by its tail, swung it around in the air, and flung it out to sea, where it floated for a minute and began paddling its way back out to Monster Island. The Boys flew to where their daughters were watching the show, each a little out of breath but looking exhilarated.

"And that," Brick said, taking off his cap and scrubbing his scalp with his fingernails, "is how it's done."

Janey had to admit, she was impressed; they'd taken down a monster bigger than any of their training monsters in a fraction of the time. She was a little excited, wondering if she and her teammates would ever be that strong. She then checked her watch and realized that if she didn't get home now she was going to be late for her movie.

* * *

><p>"Your ticket, madam," Rob said, handing Janey her ticket as she hobbled up in front of the theater. "You don't look so good. You sure you're okay to watch this movie?"<p>

"Sitting down for two hours and being entertained? Definitely up for it," Janey nodded. "I'm just sore still. I'll be okay."

"If you feel faint, darling, don't hesitate to lean on me," he winked, snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her closer as he launched into the chorus of "Lean on Me." Laughing, she put her head against his shoulder, content to stay there. As they settled into their seats Rob became a little more serious. "It's really cool what you're doing, by the way."

"Yeah?" Janey grumped. "How so?"

"Well, who else is going to take out the monsters when the Powerpuff Girls retire?" he reasoned. "Besides, I know you can do it. The beginning is always the hardest."

"I don't even want to do it," Janey confided. "I feel like I'm being pushed into it and that makes me uncomfortable about the whole deal."

"You'll do what you want to do," Rob shrugged, snuggling back into his seat, "but personally I feel safer knowing you'll be around to save the day. Just sayin'."

Janey looked at him for a few minutes, his dark brown hair tousled and warm dark eyes focused on the pre-movie entertainment, and she smiled, leaning against him again.

"Thanks, Robbie," she sighed. "I guess that does make me feel a little better."

* * *

><p>AN: Hey, guys. :D Don't mind me, just updating. This is where Janey's Boomer side comes out to play, I think; in my head, Boomer is a guy who doesn't really care about being evil or whatever so he just does whatever he thinks will get the job done quickest. Janey is no different. And Bubbles is a vegetarian, yes, but her family is not. Sydney might be when she gets older.

ALARM CLOCKS SHOULD ALL FACE THIS FATE. DON'T YOU AGREE?

A hint about next chapter: the chapter you will be viewing in the near future is a good chapter, as it includes a character so evil, so diabolical, so genius, his evilness, diabolicalness, and geniusness can only be spoken of in cryptic hints. These cryptic hints are so sneaky and subtle surely no one without the aforementioned genius will be able to interpret them. They are beyond the capacity for normal comprehension. They are without fail. They are full of foreshadowing. Their contents contain information which allude to a future occurence. Do not attempt to understand them. It is too great for your puny brains that are so small they remain within your skulls.

Chew on that for a while, why don'tcha. :D

AND WHILE YOU'RE AT IT, REVIEW. XD


	6. Chapter 6: Dark and Lonely as a Cloud

Chapter Six: Dark and Lonely as a Cloud

_Jezebel stayed at the park for two hours after the time Mark said he would meet her. She smoothed her skirt and ran her fingers through her hair and tried to look nonchalant, but by nine o'clock the guards were coming around to make sure the park was clear and she left, fighting back tears._

_She didn't want to go home; she didn't want her brothers and father threatening to beat the snot out of Mark and her mom trying to make her feel better. What she really wanted was her grandpa right now. He had a way of putting things in perspective for her._

_She twirled around the volcano and knocked on the observatory door, and the door was opened by Mojo Jojo in his purple bathrobe. He looked grumpy and ready to tell off whoever interrupted him, but Jezebel's tears finally won out and she broke down. His expression melted immediately to one of concerned alarm._

_"Come in," he said, curiously concise as she walked in and threw herself on his couch, hugging one of the cushions to her face. He sat in the armchair next to the couch and waited for her sobbing to subside. It did eventually, and she sat up, brushing back her hair and hiccupping. _

_"What has happened to make you so upset?" he asked. "Please inform me, your Grandpa Mojo, what has transpired this evening to make these tears escape from your tear ducts, as they are an unwelcome sight to someone who is invested in your general well-being."_

_She sniffed a little. "I had a date tonight."_

_"And was this social outing with a boy of your choosing not satisfactory? Did he harm, besmirch, or hurt you in a way that would induce tears from your eyes and bring down the wrath of your family?" Mojo asked, reaching for the laser gun on the coffee table. "Inform me immediately of his whereabouts and place of residence so that I may deal swift justice to him, though it is an unusual thing for Mojo Jojo to deal justice—"_

_"He never showed," Jezebel said quietly. "He told me to meet him at the park at seven. I was there at six and waited until nine. He never showed up."_

_"This is most grievous," Mojo mused, stroking his chin fur. "This standing up of a family member of Mojo Jojo will certainly rain down fire and destruction on his head. This slight against my favorite granddaughter will not go unpunished!" He leaped up, pointing dramatically in the direction of Townsville. "You, Townsville, who has so long stood against my attempts to take over and rule you, will soon rue the day you allowed a young man named…" he paused. "What was the name of the young man who asked you on a date and then never showed, the same young man who, as soon as his name and place of residence is known to me, will face vengeance and doom at my hand?"_

_"Mark," Jezebel replied listlessly._

_"Yes, you, Townsville, will rue the day you allowed a young man named Mark reside within you and continue to—"_

_"Grandpa?" Jezebel's quiet voice cut through his ramblings, "could you make some cookies and talk to me instead?"_

_"Of course," Mojo nodded, stepping off of the coffee table. "I will go into the kitchen and prepare the treat which you have enjoyed since infancy, since I have all of the proper ingredients and may now combine them in the proper sequence and bake them at the proper temperature for the proper amount of time in my oven." He took her hand. "Follow me and we may discuss, plot, and otherwise extrapolate about this evening and the retribution which will follow."_

_Jezebel smiled a little, and by the time the fifth batch of cookies was done and devoured and Mojo had fully outlined his plan to maim and humiliate Mark, she was feeling much better. She hugged him mid-ramble and surprised him._

_"Thanks, Grandpa," she whispered in his ear, in a voice so small and still so young it about broke Mojo's heart. He hugged her back and let himself smile._

_"Do not fear, Jezebel, for one day a worthy young man will find you and your evening will go exactly as planned," he said. "You are a young woman with smarts and beauty, and I am told that is what most young men of sense value. More than that, you are my little girl and Grandpa Mojo will always be here if you need him."_

_Jezebel smiled and flew away, and as she flew off she heard Mojo muttering to himself about getting old and soft and planning on robbing a bank the following day._

* * *

><p>"Grandpa," Jezebel said quietly, "that's not yours."<p>

Mojo sighed and lowered his gun, slipping the valuable gem into his pocket. She saw and stared pointedly at him until he put it back. She waved down the cops as they swarmed, grasping Mojo by his upper arm and navigating him outside the museum.

"It's okay, officers, I've got him," Jezebel said to the policemen as they readied to put the cuffs on the villainous monkey. "I'll take him to Townsville Jail personally."

"Oh…well…okay," the cop in the lead said uncomfortably. "You sure you can handle him?"

Jezebel floated into the sky, putting Mojo in a gentle headlock. He wheezed and sputtered accordingly.

"I think I'm up to the challenge," she said lightly. "Have a good day, officers."

Jezebel flew towards Townsville Jail then changed course, flying towards Mojo's observatory. He grumbled under her arm until she sat him down.

"What did I do to deserve the wrecking of my carefully-laid out plan by my own flesh and blood?" Mojo grumbled. "Of course, I do not mean that in a literal sense, as I did not biologically create your father, because if I had, he would be a monkey and you would be a monkey, but in the sense that I was responsible for their creation in a scientific sense and therefore I am your father's father and your grandfather. Their origin was of my own making, therefore making me their father, and not that flamboyant lobster—"

"Grandpa," Jezebel said gently, "you left the stove on."

Mojo hustled into the kitchen to switch off the stove and continue his grumblings when Jezebel let out a carefully orchestrated sigh and sank into one of the kitchen chairs, and he stopped for a moment.

"Allow me to guess at the reasoning why you interrupted my carefully-planned heist and have now kidnapped me back to my own home," Mojo sighed, grabbing his monkey head-shaped cookie jar and setting it on the table. "You have something you wish to discuss?"

"More of a question," Jezebel nodded. "Grandpa, do you know where my mom is?"

Mojo hesitated a split-second too long. "No, I am unaware as to the whereabouts of your mother, who is at this moment missing in action and not at home for you to bother. Her location is unknown to me. I am without the knowledge you seek. You may stop looking at me with your eyes that resemble an infant dog now."

Jezebel didn't relent her puppy-dog stare and Mojo eventually caved under the pressure.

"I may have a clue, a small scrap of information, a near-insignificant morsel that will help you in your quest." He popped a cookie in his mouth. "Hmgh."

"Come again?" Jezebel asked. She was pretty sure she'd never asked Mojo to repeat anything in her life. He swallowed and stuffed another cookie in his mouth.

"Hmgh," he repeated. Jezebel looked at him flatly for a minute and he swallowed.

"Him," he said testily, "they were doing research about the self-proclaimed Master of All Evil and the would-be usurper to my position as father and creator of the Rowdyruff Boys, Him. What they found and why they left is beyond my well of knowledge, and there I will cease speaking about things which I am not completely certain. I know no mo', and no mo' is what I, Mojo Jojo, know."

Jezebel giggled and reached for a cookie. Chocolate chip. Her favorite, as Mojo well knew.

"Thanks for your help, Grandpa." She swallowed her cookie and stood. "Stay out of trouble."

"Are you implying that I, Mojo Jojo, am in the habit of causing trouble, performing acts of villainy, or being otherwise nasty to the inhabitants of Townsville?" Mojo grumbled, but it was with a smile. "I am teasing, joking, yanking your chain, pulling your leg."

"I know," Jezebel grinned. "See you later." She flew away with the intent to relay her information to Jackie and got sidetracked by the sight of her favorite bench in Townsville park, all alone with no one to warm its slats. The voice of the book in her bag also cried out for attention, which is how Jezebel found herself stretched the length of the bench, her legs hanging over the arm rest and her hair spread out behind her. For extra measure she had a shield of energy surrounding her in case a wayward football decided to meander her way.

She heard three deliberate knocks on her shield and lowered her book to see who disturbed her. The boy from her math class waved at her.

"Hey," he mouthed, and she dissipated the shield so she could hear him normally.

"Hi," Jezebel said cautiously. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah," he replied, walking towards the bench. Jezebel hurriedly sat up and scooted to a far end to make room. "I was wondering what you thought of that math exam. A real doozy, right?"

"Um…yeah, I guess so," Jezebel nodded, keeping her finger firmly at her place in her book. She didn't say anything more and he didn't reply, looking around the park easily. Jezebel chewed on the inside of her mouth and tried to think of something to say.

"So anyway," he flicked his hair out of his face, "I'm Casey."

"Jezebel."

They shook hands and returned to staring at the park. Then, after a minute:

"So, I'm throwing a shindig next weekend at Townsville dump. You should run by sometime."

"Sure," Jezebel managed to choke out. "I'll look into it."

"Won't be a party without you, beautiful," Casey winked, standing and taking a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket. "I'll see you around."

"Yeah," Jezebel nodded. "Sure. Yeah."

She continued to stare after him as he walked away, hands shoved in his pockets and whistling. Then she sighed, forcing herself to relax.

It was nice of him to offer, she reasoned as she flew home, but she knew she wasn't going to make it. It was another disaster waiting to happen. Just another Mark, another Dave, another Aaron, another Brad. No need to add Casey to that list.

She got a text from Janey informing her that she was kidnapping her for another party, which Jezebel sent her hearty nixing to; for extra measure she locked her door when she got home. She ran herself a bubble bath, lit her candles, turned on her iHome, and pulled her hair up, setting her book by the side as she slid into the scalding water with a satisfied sigh.

Her phone rang and she sighed again, passing her book by and putting her phone on speaker.

"What, Janey?" she asked.

"Hang on, I'm setting up a three-way with Jackie," Janey replied. "Since _some_ of us are so intent on having little to no social lives around here."

Jezebel just smiled, playing with the bubbles as Janey got in touch with Jackie.

"We all here?" Jackie asked.

"Present," Jezebel said.

"_Estoy aquí,_" Janey replied.

"Alright, then" Jackie said, "report, ladies."

"The Professor doesn't know anything," Janey replied. "Not really. He just said that they didn't stop off to see him before they left."

"Okay, that rules the Professor out," Jackie mused. "Jezebel?"

"Mojo didn't know much, but he did say that they were researching some guy named Him," Jezebel replied, sinking a little lower in her bubbles.

"Him?" Janey asked. "Never heard of him."

"Me, neither," Jezebel replied. "Mojo just said he was a self-proclaimed master of all evil and would-be creator of our dads. Sounds like some self-important scientist or something like that."

"I've heard of him," Jackie said slowly. "I'll need to do some digging, but the name Him sounds very familiar, for some reason. Good work, girls."

"We aim to please," Janey said ironically. "Jez, you sure you don't want to come with?"

"I'm in the bathtub right now. If I wanted to come, you'd know," Jezebel intoned. "Have a good time. Jack, you going, too?"

"Not this time," Jackie replied. "I'm doing some research. I bet the Townsville Library has something on Him in its villain records. See you guys."

"Bye." Jezebel switched off her phone and sunk into the foam with a small smile.

* * *

><p>It was the middle of the night when her phone went off again. Without looking to see who it was Jezebel picked it up, hoping her gravelly voice translated her severe annoyance.<p>

"Janey, if this is you asking for a ride home because you're too drunk to fly, I swear I'm going to pull all your hair out by the roots," she slurred.

"It's me," Jackie said. "I need you to meet me at Townsville Library."

"Now?" Jezebel groaned. "It's four in the morning. You know, when most decent people are asleep _and definitely not waking their cousins up with stupid phone calls._"

"Just get down here," Jackie replied. "Janey's on her way. Five minutes."

Jackie hung up and Jezebel contemplated going back to sleep and ignoring that this ever happened. The warning note in Jackie's voice was enough to pull her upright. She slid a pair of polka-dotted rainboots over her pajama pants and one of her dad's purloined button-up shirts over her tank top and quietly floated out of her window, careful not to wake up her brothers or father. Townsville Library was only a few blocks away from her house, a distance covered easily in two minutes. When she got there the door was slightly ajar, held open by Jackie's foot.

"I thought you said Janey was on her way," Jezebel rasped.

"I did. There she is," Jackie pointed at a growing blue dot in the sky. Janey landed in front of the door and slipped inside, crossing her arms.

"What's this all about, Jack?" Janey asked. "I had to leave in the middle of Rob's toilet broccoli story."

"Sorry, but I didn't want to wait until morning to show you guys this," Jackie apologized. "Follow me."

"Does Mrs. Heraldo know you're in here?" Janey asked.

"Maybe," Jackie replied lightly. "Come on, the archives are back here."

"Goodness, Jez, your hair's a fright," Janey remarked, tousling Jezebel's bedhead.

"I was in the middle of sleeping," Jezebel grumped back. "Careful. People have been known to disappear in there."

Janey giggled and Jezebel cracked a smile. It wasn't every day she made a witticism that actually made people laugh.

Jackie led them to the very back of the library, where a large metal vault stood open. Inside Jackie had a bright lantern and half a bag of chocolate-dipped pretzels, which Jezebel snatched and started eating. Jackie had newspapers spread out over the table she'd dragged inside, and a specific stack set off to the side.

"Here," Jackie pointed at the stack. "These are what I wanted to show you." She picked up the top one. "This is the article where our moms first appeared. I thought you might get a kick out of seeing it."

"Freaky Bug-Eyed Weirdo Girls Broke Everything," Janey read. "Aw, look at them! They were adorable!"

"Looks like they didn't have the smoothest start, either," Jezebel said softly, and all three girls grinned.

"Looks like things got better for them later on," Jackie referred to her second paper, which had a picture of Mojo, an army of monkeys, and three familiar little girls taking them down, "but what I really wanted to show you was this one."

She handed the third paper to Janey, who shared it with Jezebel. On the front was the headline "Powerpuff Girls Hand it to Him" and a full-color picture of someone with a beard, a dress, and heels smiling for the camera, waving at whoever was taking it. With claws. The person was also red as a…

"Lobster," Jezebel said quietly, suddenly appreciating Mojo's joke.

"Yeah," Janey nodded. "Check the pinchers. That's Him?"

"Yep," Jackie replied. "According to the reporter, he's a being so sinister, so cruel, so vile, his real name can't be spoken."

"That's a guy?" Jezebel said doubtfully. "Looks more like a sweet transvestite."

"Keep your Rocky Horror to yourself," Janey teased. "But, yeah, that's seriously a dude?"

"That's the devil," Jackie said, tapping the picture. "As far as we know."

"Come on," Janey snorted. "Not the _Devil_ devil, right? He's just a guy in costume."

"If he's a guy in costume, then he's a very powerful guy; he can appear and disappear whenever he wants, shrink and enlarge in size, influence everyone in Townsville, and bring people back from the dead," Jackie laid out the rest of her newspapers. Janey and Jezebel looked them over.

"Is that…?" Jezebel trailed off, touching one of the papers, a few months older than the first.

"The Rowdyruff Boys," Jackie nodded. "And this," she fished out another paper and laid it next to the original, "is when Him resurrected them."

"Well," Janey said, "at least their hairstyles improved."

"What do you mean 'resurrected'?" Jezebel asked. "As in, they were dead?"

"Destroyed," Jackie nodded. "Mojo first created them out of a prison toilet using snakes, snails, puppy-dog tails, and a chemical with all the potency of X. They pretty much had the Girls beat until Mayor Bellum—Miss Bellum then—gave them the key to defeating the Rowdyruffs."

"Kissing?" Janey read, making a face. "How did kissing blow them up?"

"Think about it. Little boys, fear of cooties, little girls…" Jackie grinned at Janey's dawning comprehension. "Well, they were gone for a little over a year when Him brought them back with a little extra juice and something called a cootie shot."

"You're joking, right? Please tell me you're joking," Janey was red-faced from containing her laughter.

"Instead of blowing up, every time the Girls kissed them, they got bigger and stronger," Jackie went on, ignoring Janey's muffled shriek of mirth. "That effect seems to have worn off once the Boys hit puberty, otherwise we wouldn't be here right now."

"Y'know, if our dads were created to be evil, how did they end up getting with our moms in the first place?" Jezebel asked abruptly. "It's kinda strange."

"Well, Mom said that one day the Boys just stopped fighting," Janey replied. "According to her, once they grew up they separated from Mojo—and I guess Him, too—they did a lot of maturing and mellowed out."

"Sounds hokey to me," Jezebel snorted.

"You never know," Janey shrugged. "The love of a good woman can do a lot for a man."

"Anyway," Jackie roped the girls back into her lecture, "since the time the Boys got old enough to decide they didn't like being told what to do all the time, Him went underground. Nobody's heard from him in twenty years or so."

"So what were our moms doing digging him up if he's been under the radar forever?" Janey asked.

"Maybe they didn't like leaving a loose end tied up," Jezebel suggested. "Townsville hasn't had a decent villain in years, no offense to Grandpa Mojo. Every supervillain from when the Powerpuff Girls were kids are all too old or too tired to want to fight anymore."

"Except Him, maybe," Jackie mused. "If he is who he's reported to be, he's immortal. Maybe they heard something about him gathering up strength again."

"This one's interesting," Janey commented, picking up a paper. "This is from when Him brainwashed Townsville into hating the Powerpuff Girls. Before he disappeared he was reported to have said, 'I never repeat a performance.'"

"That's good to know," Jackie nodded. "It means he's unpredictable."

"How is that a good thing?" Jezebel frowned.

"Well, if we're ready for anything, we'll be prepared," Jackie reasoned. "Besides, he's not totally unpredictable. We know that he hates the Powerpuff Girls and wanted to get rid of them. So there's a possibility he was pulling a plan together and our moms went to stop him."

"That was a few weeks ago," Jezebel said softly. "If they stopped him, where are they?"

A cold silence descended on all three girls. Jackie was the first to break the silence.

"Come on, gals," she said in a valiant effort to be optimistic, "we're a step closer to figuring this out, and we don't have training until Monday."

"That's tomorrow," Janey noted, checking her phone. "Let's put these away and get home."

The vault was put back together and closed, and once Jackie made sure the door to the library was locked the girls flew home. Jezebel crawled into her bed, tossed and turned for a few minutes, then got up, dragging her comforter behind her. She padded down the hall to her parents' room, where her dad was curled in a ball on the far left side. Jezebel took her mom's pillow and put it at the foot of the bed, then climbed in, spreading her blanket out around her and dropping off in a matter of minutes. Butch stirred as Jezebel's motions shifted the mattress, and looked up blearily. Upon seeing his daughter's worn-out face he smiled a little, dropping back onto his own pillow.

* * *

><p>AN: Hey, hey, hey! I really like writing for Mojo. I really, really do. :D Jezzie is Mojo's favorite because she was the one grandchild who would actually listen to his stories and not make fun of his brain or his speech pattern. I dunno, I think Mojo would actually make a good grandpa, once he got over the instinct to blast anything PPG-related into the atmosphere. XD And yes, I'm terribly original. Him is the main villain this time. Remember the Gals' detective work this time around, because important information is realized and important questions are posed.

On an unrelated note, I saw Sucker Punch yesterday. I liked it. :D

Review, plz.


	7. Chapter 7: Dispatch

Chapter Seven: Dispatch

_"Blegh," Jackie wrinkled her nose at the movie Mom and Amanda were watching. Amanda was in tears, pressing a tissue to her nose while Mom clutched a hand to her heart. "How can you guys stand this?"_

_"It's a beautiful romantic story," Mom whispered as the actor on the TV cried, the body of his apparent love interest limp in his arms. _

_"But she dies at the end," Jackie pointed out. _

_"That's what makes it beautiful," Amanda murmured. "It was a forbidden love torn apart by society and her sickness. But even as she dies, you know they're still in love and they'll be together forever."_

_Jackie studied the screen, then turned back to her mother._

_"I'm never going to be like that," she declared. "When I meet my true love I won't mess it up. And I won't be that sappy."_

_"Never say never, sweetheart," Mom dabbed at her eyes. "The best-laid plans often go awry."_

_Jackie huffed, returning to her room, where she cuddled her Prince Charming doll and told him she didn't understand her mother and sister at all._

* * *

><p>"Up and at 'em, sleepyhead," Jackie heard her dad's unusually cheerful voice through the pillow dragged over her head. "Today's a big day."<p>

"Unless today has something to do with world peace or an end to world hunger, I shouldn't be up for another three hours," Jackie grumbled. She then squealed as she was hauled out of bed by her ankle and unceremoniously dropped on the floor. She sat up, rubbing her head and scowling. Brick's bright face came down level with her own, smiling entirely too broadly for Jackie's liking.

"Get some breakfast while I go get your cousins," he said. "And make sure it's a healthy one; don't want you yakking it up today."

He exited and she followed, floating down the stairs to the kitchen and pouring herself a bowl of Cheerios.

While she ate Brick went to Janey's house next, amused to find her passed out under her bed. He dragged her out by her ankles and dumped a nearby cup of water on her face, effectively waking her up. She rubbed at her face, grimacing and spluttering.

"My house in fifteen minutes," he said cheerily. "If you're not there a bucket of ice will follow that refreshing little splash." He let his words work their magic while he zoomed to Jezebel's.

She was curled up under her blankets, tucked into a neat little ball with her hair spread out behind her. Brick studied her room, then picked up a stuffed animal shaped like some sort of octopus with a dragon body and smacked Jezebel in the face.

She snorted awake immediately. "Sherlock Holmes abducted by space gnomes!" she shrieked, her speech still garbled as she bolted upright.

"That's what I like to hear," Brick said lightly. "My house in fifteen minutes, or the octopus gets it."

"Cthulhu," Jezebel grumbled, reaching for the doll. He held it out of her reach.

"Gesundheit," he replied. "You've got close to ten minutes now. You can eat at my house, just be there."

He didn't stay to see her pull herself out of bed, but ten minutes later both girls were standing in his kitchen, helping themselves to his cereal and throwing him death glares.

"Why is your hair wet?" Jezebel asked.

"Don't ask," Janey replied darkly, shoving a spoonful of Lucky Charms in her mouth.

"Any particular reason why we're up at this ungodly hour, Father Dearest?" Jackie asked. "The sun's not even up yet."

"Because, Beloved Daughter," Brick replied, "today you girls are going on your first patrol."

All three brightened at once.

"You've been training for a little over two weeks now, five days a week, without fail," he said. "You've improved far beyond my wildest dreams. I think you're ready to take on the real thing. Your fathers don't agree," he chuckled, "but what they don't know won't hurt them. Finish your breakfast, then join me on the roof."

Once this was done and all four were standing on the roof of Jackie's house Brick launched into his lecture.

"Behold, Townsville," he said dramatically, sweeping his arm across the cityscape. "What you've been training to protect for months now, filled to the brim with overly optimistic citizens and the main target of monsters for forty years."

"Yeah, we know," Janey rolled her eyes. "Can you cut the cheerfulness? You're starting to freak me out."

"Alright, smart aleck, this is the plan for today," Brick winked at her, unsettling all three girls even more. "A city like this gets up and moving early. Crime never sleeps, but its victims do; once the victims come out to play, the criminals come out. I'm sure you girls have noticed that the crime rates are creeping back up these past few weeks. While you're still learning, now is the best time to get your feet wet before the underground really starts taking advantage of your moms'…absence."

"Um…are we supposed to have uniforms or something?" Jackie asked.

"You'll get those when you prove yourselves against the city," Brick replied. "I'll be in the wings in case things get out of hand, but for the most part, you three are on your own. Keep in mind that I'm watching you, and good luck." With that he painted a red stripe against the brightening sky and the girls followed, stopping on the top of the Townsville Space Needle to observe the goings-on of their fair city.

"Okay, ladies," Jackie said, "things seem pretty quiet for now. We'll take a quick circle around the outer perimeter and work our way in. Sound good?"

"Whatever," Janey yawned. Jezebel merely nodded.

* * *

><p>It was close to noon before anything happened; Jezebel caught the sound of alarms first, and in a matter of seconds the girls were kicking down the door of Townsville National Bank.<p>

"Freeze!" Jackie yelled, to be met with a sizable automatic weapon in her face. Her first instinct was to flinch away, but she held her ground.

"Boss, I thought you said they were out of town!" one of the goons shrieked, dropping his full sack of money.

"They are, stupid, that's not them," the leader of the operation, a beefy man with a sizable scar across his chin, scoffed. "What's wrong, girlies, you lost or something? The mall is down the street."

"Surrender," Jackie held out a hand to calm Jezebel, who bristled, "and we'll go easy on you."

"Are you not listening? I said scram," the boss laughed. "Before I get angry."

Jackie looked at the gun in her face, raised her hand, and pinched the barrel closed between her index finger and thumb. She then twisted the gun out of the goon's hands and smacked him across the face with it. The rest of the grunts (Jackie counted about six) all raised their guns and open fired. Jezebel snorted as the bullets pinged off her skin.

"That tickles."

She proceeded to melt the nearest gun to her with her laser vision. The man holding it dropped the twisted mass of liquefied metal quickly, rubbing his burned hands on his pants and blowing on them.

"Girls, let's show these gentlemen how we like to play," Jackie smiled genially. About five seconds later the other five guns were smashed or melted and their users in various stages of consciousness. Jackie kicked the boss in the side of the head and planted her foot in the middle of his shoulders.

"What—what are you?" the man coughed around the loose teeth in his mouth.

"Townsville's new heroes," Jackie said grandly as the sound of police sirens filled the air. "Spread the word. Just because the Powerpuff Girls aren't here doesn't mean they left their home unprotected."

"Enough of the monologing, Jack, we've got another situation," Janey called from where she and Jezebel were securing the would-be robbers. "Fifth and Avenue."

The girls jetted out of the bank and down a few blocks, where they pummeled a man as he tried to snatch an old lady's purse (to her credit, the tough old bird wasn't letting go for love or money). The next few hours were spent in this manner; it seemed more and more thieves kept cropping up every time they put down one insurrection.

Finally, about three, things seemed to calm down and the girls caught a breather and a hot dog in the park.

"Man," Janey sighed, "that's a whole lot harder than it looks."

"That's nothing," Jackie shook her head. "This is just housekeeping."

"Get ready for a big mess," Jezebel said serenely. "Here comes a monster."

"You're kidding, right?" Janey groaned. An echoing roar drifted through the hot Townsville haze, and she swore.

"Let's go." Jackie swallowed the rest of her hot dog and took off, Jezebel and Janey on her heels.

Crawling out of the sea came an enormous blob, sickly purple in color. It had no discernable features other than a dark orb in the middle of its mass, about the size of a small dog.

"Flight plan Beta," Jackie called, "Eyebeams. Go."

The girls broke off from their usual formation, Janey circling the bottom, Jackie the middle, Jezebel the top, laser eyes on full blast. As Jackie suspected, the blob swatted in the air with its pseudopods, bubbling and boiling. After a few seconds it exploded, coating Townsville in its slime. Left behind was the small orb, now pulsating red.

"Got it," Janey called, swooping in to pick it up. She flew upwards towards Jackie and Jezebel, with the intent to check it out with them.

Before she could reach them her hands were coated in purple ooze. A thin arm of it reached up and latched onto Janey's face. She screamed, trying to dislodge her hands from around the orb to grapple with the goo on her face. The purple substance stuck, growing larger and sucking Janey's arms into it. She crashed into an office building, and the blob expanded rapidly, attaching to the building face and regaining half of its original volume in a matter of seconds.

"Janey!" Jackie yelled as she and Jezebel flew towards the blob. Janey was panicking, kicking out and trying to blast her way out of the monster's innards, to no avail. Jackie plunged her hand into the blob and grabbed Janey by the wrist as Jezebel tried melting the monster back down.

"Don't do that, you'll kill her!" Jackie called. "Gimme a hand here!"

Jezebel reached in the ooze and grabbed Janey's other arm, pulling with all her might as Jackie did the same. After a tense moment a giant sucking sound like a plunger being pulled echoed across the street, followed by a crash as all three girls tore up a substantial strip of asphalt with their momentum.

"Ugh," Janey shuddered, trying to wipe the residue off, "this _reeks_. Oh no, it's all in my hair…."

"Worry about that later. We can't let this thing get any farther into Townsville than it already is," Jackie said tersely. As they spoke the blob swelled several stories and started absorbing a building. As it did so the orb glowed green. Jackie studied it for a second.

"Janey, are you good to go?" she asked. Janey ceased wringing out her braids and nodded. "You two go back to Beta and eyebeams. I'll bear down from above. As soon as that sphere is exposed I'm going to hit it hard."

Janey and Jezebel nodded, taking off and circling the monster once more. Jackie hovered above the reducing mass, focusing all her concentration on the orb, which was again glowing red. After a few minutes the sphere was exposed and devoid of slime. Once Janey and Jezebel saw it was a sphere again, they stopped the eyebeams; it started secreting the purple ooze the second they let off.

"Keep up the eyebeams! That should stop it from regenerating!" Jackie yelled. "I'm going in!"

"If we do, you'll get fried!" Janey replied.

"You let me worry about that. Keep it up," Jackie ordered. The other two wordlessly complied. Once back down to its basic sphere Jackie rammed her fist down hard on it. The lasers burned her skin, but it was already healing as she hit it again. After about four hits the orb started to crack. Jackie gritted her teeth.

"Come on, you stubborn freak of nature, come _on_," she murmured, hitting it harder. Out of frustration she dealt it one more kick that melted her shoe a little, and the thing shattered. Janey and Jezebel stopped the eye lasers in surprise.

Left behind was a wriggling, scaly…thing. If Jackie had to hazard a guess it looked like a hairless reptilian bear cub. It sneezed, opened its mouth wide, and screamed. Jackie was bowled back by the force of its projection and Janey quickly stopped it by grabbing it by the throat.

"Aw," Jezebel cooed, "it's so cute!"

"Jez," Janey frowned, "there's something wrong with you."

"Um…okay, girls," Jackie said, dazed, "toss that thing back out to sea and let's do another round over the city."

Janey flew up high, wound up, and let the monster fly, squealing all the way, to the ocean. About halfway through its journey it formed a new orb, but didn't regenerate its blob as it bobbed back towards Monster Island.

"I'm going to have to wash my hair for a week to get all of this out," Janey complained, floating back to the others.

"Nicely done," Brick said, floating suddenly down to stand behind them. "I'd call that a day. Get home and washed up. Mayor Bellum knows who to call if things get out of hand."

Jackie nodded, suddenly exhausted and feeling her burned hands keenly.

"Finally," Janey sighed. "Sweet relaxation."

The girls powered up and jetted home, Janey dropping smears of purple grease below her. Jackie, after taking a shower, soaked her hands in a bowl of cold water and sighed.

Of course, at that moment her phone decided to ring. Sighing, she carefully dried her hand off and answered it, putting it on speaker and easing her hand back into the water.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Jackie?"

The only thing keeping Jackie from hanging up was the sudden throb in her fingers.

"Yes," she sighed. "Can I help you?"

"Actually, you can," Duke replied. "You see, I am, what's the phrase…ah, going mad, stuck here with my sister, and I was wondering if I might get a tour around this fair city."

"So hire a tour guide," Jackie frowned. "I'm a little busy right now."

"Oh, sure, one could hire a guide, but a guide would surely give a very dry presentation," Duke countered. "I'd rather see it through a true Townsvillian's eyes."

"So call Mimi or Janey," Jackie said. "How did you get this number, anyway?"

"Er—Mimi," he replied quickly. "I'm afraid you misunderstood me, _ma cherie_. I want _you_ to show me around."

Jackie released a breath through her nose slowly. It wasn't fair of him to use his voice like that when she was doing her level best to be indifferent.

"I just spent all day cleaning up the streets. I'm exhausted. Now is not a good time," Jackie played her last card.

"Tomorrow, then," Duke followed up swiftly. Jackie thought about it. Tomorrow was Saturday. She had no excuse. Crap.

"Fine," she sighed. "I guess a quick tour wouldn't hurt."

"Excellent. We can meet at _La Casa de Rosas_. Lunch on me," he said.

"_La Casa de Rosas_?" Jackie choked. "I think that's a little fancy for a tour."

"I believe in treating pretty girls how they deserve, _ma cherie_," Duke said smoothly. "A beautiful and passionate woman merits a meal that tangos across her taste buds."

"Uh-huh," Jackie coughed. "Um. How about McDonald's instead?"

There was a pause and a light chuckle. "McDonald's it is."

* * *

><p>Jackie's foot tapped impatiently. <em>Where is he?<em>

As if summoned by her thought Duke appeared, dressed impeccably casual and holding a deep pink rose.

"For you," he said, slipping the flower into her hand. "Well, here we are, _ma cherie_. Are you hungry?"

Jackie shook her head, but her stomach's loud grumbling betrayed her. She avoided his bright smile by studying her shoes.

"Would you prefer a burger or a chicken sandwich?" he asked, turning to the menu. "Personally, I prefer the Big Mac. They make them so small in Europe, you know. American food certainly has its perks."

"McChicken," Jackie said hesitantly. "With fries. And Sprite."

After a few minutes Jackie and Duke were seated in a booth, munching quietly.

"You're not much of a conversationalist, are you?" Duke asked finally.

"I can be," Jackie replied. Duke waited expectantly for a moment, but she merely took a bite out of her sandwich and looked out the window.

"I see," he nodded. "You don't like me very much."

"Not particularly, no," Jackie shook her head.

"Then instruct me," he laid his burger aside, "on how best to improve."

"Well, you can stop trying to be overly romantic, for one," Jackie set her drink down, counting off on her fingers. "You can stop trying to talk to me, stop stalking me, and the cherry on top would be to go back in time and stop your mother from having kids. That would about do it."

Duke opened his mouth, closed it, then laughed quietly.

"I'll let you in on a badly-kept secret," he said. "I don't like Princess any more than you do. If I'd been raised with my mother and sister, perhaps you would have grounds for this…dislike of yours."

She flushed deeply and buried her face in her fries.

"Princess may be my mother, but I'm sure I've never met anyone less suited to it," he continued. "Queenie's on the right track to being just like her, of course, though without Mother's redeeming qualities of genius for business and affinity for weapons technology. Those happy talents," he grinned, "lie with me."

Jackie stuffed yet more fries in her mouth to buy time for her response, but Duke went on.

"I'm sure you know my parents are divorced. My father took me with him when he returned to Europe. I'm fluent in French and Spanish, and know enough Portuguese and German to get by; I enjoy composing theories about achieving world peace, inventing more efficient technology, and long walks on the beach. I've dated young models and obscure European nobility, but none of them," he leaned forward, "intrigue me as the beautiful redhead before me does." He finished with one of his knee-dissolving smiles. Jackie snapped her jaw shut, mouthed for her straw, and sucked up half-melted ice.

"Now that the boring stuff is out of the way," he picked up his burger again, "how about that tour? And I would love to hear something about you, now that most of my life's story is on the table." There was an ironic ring to his words that didn't entirely miss Jackie's notice. Until he wrapped up his burger, tossed it in the trash, and offered her his arm, that is. They walked out into the warm afternoon air and Jackie took a breath.

And she talked. Townsville mostly forgotten, she told Duke about her powers, her older sister and younger brother, her broken leg when she was six, her various volunteer projects, her spring allergies. He listened even when she started babbling, and told her about the time he tried calamari and hated it. She told him about the time she cooked a whole lobster by herself without her father knowing about it. Quite by accident it was nearly six-thirty before Jackie checked her phone and saw sixteen missed calls from Janey and Rob.

"Oh," she said, "I've got to go."

"If you must," Duke heaved a sigh. "May I see you again? Preferably soon?"

"I dunno. You tell me," Jackie smiled.

"Until later, then," he returned the smile. Jackie blushed, giggled, and jumped into the air to fly away. She nearly crashed head-first into an office building and loop-the-looped away, Duke's laughter ringing in her scarlet ears.

* * *

><p>AN: HEY U GAIS. HAVE MORE AWFUL ACTION SEQUENCES. XD Yet more Duke, yet MORE cheesy dialogue, and yet MOOOORREEE...um...AWFUL ACTION SEQUENCES. :D

Seriously though, in case you didn't catch it, Jackie is an incurable closet romantic. Blossom and Big Sister Amanda might have been watching Moulin Rouge. Maybe. And Jezzie's "Sherlock Holmes" line? I seriously said that when I was rudely awoken one morning. I'm not sure if it had anything at all to do with what I was dreaming. Cheerful!Brick means RUN FO' YO' LIVES, FOLKS. Jackie's Mickey D's choice sounds delicious right now...omnomnom...

REVIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWW.


	8. Chapter 8: The Coming

Chapter Eight: The Coming

_Janey spat out a mouthful of gravel and stood, dusting her overalls off. The boy who'd knocked her down (she thought his name might have been Rob) grinned toothily at her. _

_"Ha-ha!" he crowed. "Are you gonna cry now, sissy girl?"_

_Janey blinked through her tears, walked up to Rob, and pushed him down, using considerably more force than a normal seven-year-old should. Once he was down in the dirt she jumped him and slapped his face until his cheeks were red and wet._

_"Stop! Stop!" he squealed, wiping his running nose._

_"Stop bothering me!" Janey threatened._

_"Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Rob whined. "Let me up!"_

_Janey did as bidden and stood, walking away with a "hmph." _

_The next day he threw a mud pie at her and she shoved sand down his pants._

_The next week he pushed her down the slide before she was ready and she pushed him in the swing higher than he wanted to go._

_The next month they swapped sandwiches at lunch and called each other friends._

* * *

><p>Janey looked up when she heard glass smashing and saw a boy crashing down towards the sidewalk from several stories up. Without thinking she detached her arm from Rob's, flew up, and caught the boy, lowering him to the ground. Everyone who'd seen the rescue cheered as Janey checked him over to make sure he was okay.<p>

"Holy crap," he wheezed, "you—you just saved my life."

"What are you doing falling out of windows?" Janey scolded. "It's too nice a day to commit suicide."

"Yeah," he shrugged, "I tripped. Story of my life." He held out his hand. "I'm Pete."

"Janey," she shook his hand and grinned up at his very, very good-looking face. He was tan, with bright green eyes and slicked-back dark hair. His smile was infectious, and Janey giggled despite herself, pushing a lock of hair behind her ears. It also didn't escape her notice that he had very nice arms.

"I guess I know who to call when I need an angel," Pete laughed. "Speaking of which, can I get your number?"

Janey grinned, pulling out a pen and scrawling her cell number on his palm. The motion was an unfamiliar one; she wasn't sure what had come over her, but as he smiled at her something stirred in her and she liked it.

"Give me a ring if you need saving again," she said, returning her pen to her bag.

"Who's your friend?" Pete asked easily.

_Friend? Friend? What friend? Oh, right…_

"This is my best friend ever, Rob Believe," Janey turned to Rob and pulled him forward, surprised to see the frown on his face. "Rob, Pete."

"Pleasure." Rob shook Pete's hand rather forcefully.

"Strong grip," Pete nodded, grinning. "Well, I'd better head. Nice meeting you, Rob. Janey." He winked and walked back into the building he'd fallen out of. Janey sighed.

"Pinch me, I think I'm dreaming," she murmured, looping arms with Rob again. She shrieked when he complied, tickling her side in the process.

"What? You asked," Rob teased when she hit his arm. "So, evaluation of new eye candy?"

"Definitely worth a taste," she murmured, laughing at Rob's grimace. "Don't make that face at me. You asked."

"Sometimes, Janey, I'd really rather you hit on guys when I'm not around," Rob frowned. "It makes me feel awkward."

"Sorry, babe. I take advantage of every opportunity, especially when the heavens open up and drop a gorgeous guy like _that_ on my lap," she shrugged. He looked at her, deadpan. "Okay, fine, I'll make more of an effort."

They walked down the sidewalk until Janey pulled Rob into the accessory store she'd been looking for. The hats she wanted were in the back of the store; the display was a hopeless jumble. Janey tried to ignore Rob's increasingly pensive stares as she riffled through the hats, and after a moment Rob immersed himself in them, as well.

"This it?" Rob held up a baby-blue knit cap and Janey nodded. "Here, let me do it."

He pulled the hat snug over her hair, tucking a strand of it back. His fingers lingered a few seconds too long, then traced down her jaw. Janey felt the atmosphere charge in an instant. She wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Rob, what—?"

His lips mashing against hers cut off her sentence. Her mind fizzled, blanked, then switched to autopilot. She pushed him back. He looked as bewildered as she felt, and they stared at each other for a few seconds. Janey pulled the cap off, sidestepped Rob, and made her way towards the door. Rob followed, put his hand on her shoulder, but she jerked away, almost sending him headfirst into another shelf. She banged the door open, about off its hinges, and took a moment to look behind her, right in his face. He had a hurt expression now, his eyes begging her to stay put, to talk it out. She turned back around.

"Janey, wait," she heard him say, but she was already in the air.

"I'm sorry!" he yelled after her, but she was too far in her shock to take notice. She had a favorite place to think, on the pinnacle of the tallest skyscraper in Townsville, high above the hustle and bustle of city life. She pulled out her phone and automatically started dialing.

The first number was her mother's. It went straight to voicemail, just like every other time she tried the past month. The second was Rob's, which she stopped herself from completing at the last second. The third was Jackie's, which rang until voicemail picked it up. Over the course of the next hour she called Jackie about eight times, working on the ninth when Jackie finally picked up.

"Is there a reason why you and Rob have clogged my inbox?" Jackie asked, though her voice sounded extremely floaty. "What's up?"

Janey tried to say everything at once, talking at such high speeds not even Jackie could understand her.

"Okay, calm down," Jackie said soothingly. "Start at the beginning."

She couldn't speak this time, instead making a noncommittal squeak and throwing her free hand up. Jackie sighed.

"Get to my house. Bring your PJs and whatever snacks you deem necessary. I'll call Jezebel and we'll all work it out together. Okay?"

Janey made a grateful sort of sniff and hung up, floating errantly through the air. Somehow or another she managed to make it to her house and then Jackie's without running into her dad or siblings. Jezebel and Jackie were already in Jackie's room, Jezebel hoarding a bag of Dorito's and Jackie fiddling with her radio. Janey set her bag of treats down, curled up on a corner of Jackie's bed, and pressed her face into a pillow.

"That bad?" Jezebel said idly, crawling up on the bed to sit next to her. "What happened?"

Janey swallowed several times, trying to get her throat to work, then snagged a bag of Reese's Pieces. Once she had a handful in her system she felt like she could talk.

"Two things," she said, grabbing a fistful of pillow tightly. "One, I saved a guy today."

"That's good," Jackie praised. "Was he grateful?"

"Oh, yeah," Janey nodded. "He fell out of a window, and we really hit it off. I gave him my number."

"Your _real_ number?" Jezebel asked. Janey nodded again. She whistled.

"And number two," Janey sighed, "you know how Rob's been acting a little weird lately?"

"Not really," Jezebel shook her head.

"Well, he has," Janey replied. "He just kissed me."

Jackie and Jezebel's jaws dropped. Janey shoved another handful of candy in her mouth while they recovered.

"As in…_kissed_ you?" Jezebel spoke first. "As in lip-to-lip contact?"

"Yes, Jezzie, what other kind of kissing is there?" Janey snapped. Jezebel shrugged.

"Okay, that's a _way_ bigger problem than we can fix," Jackie said. "Unless it's not a problem…is it?"

"Yeah," Janey nodded. "Well, no. Sort of? I guess?"

"Well, which is it?" Jezebel asked. "Is it good your best friend since first grade kissed you, or is it not?"

"I don't know," Janey threw up her hands. "I just met this really nice guy, and then Rob goes off and pulls that stunt, and he's been my best friend since forever, and yeah, I guess it was kind of nice, but what if he didn't mean to do it, and what if Pete finds out and then doesn't want to see me anymore, and—ugh!" she buried her face back in the pillow, screeching into its padding.

"Well, when you put it that way…" Jackie frowned. "Well, I guess the best way to solve this is just to talk it out with Rob. Here, I've got him in my contacts somewhere—"

"No," Janey said forcefully, "I don't want to talk to him right now."

"Janey, you're not going to sort this out unless—" Jackie began, but Janey chucked the pillow at her.

"_No._"

They sat in silence for a moment.

"Well, what about you, sunshine?" Jezebel turned to Jackie. "You've had this smile plastered all over your face since I got here."

"Oh," Jackie giggled, "_that_."

Janey and Jezebel stared at her for a second.

"Yes?" Janey prompted, her usual perk coming back.

"I had a very edifying conversation today," Jackie grinned, "with Duke Morbucks."

Janey dissolved into squealing giggles as Jezebel smiled hugely.

"Oh, how the mighty fall," she said. "Say it ain't so, Joe!"

"Shut up. You're not allowed to use my own words against me." Jackie colored deeply.

"I'm afraid the situation warrants it, my dear cousin," Jezebel replied, still smiling. "Who was it who said that she would never, ever, in a million years, like a Morbucks?"

"And who was it who told me and Mimi off for hinting you totally would join us one day?" Janey teased.

"Alright, knock it off," Jackie attempted a serious expression and failed miserably. "I think he likes me, kinda."

"What tipped you off? The way he keeps calling you _ma cherie_, or the permanent look of lovesickness on his face?" Janey giggled. "He's had it bad for you since he first saw you. Remember, it was me who introduced you? Be sure to credit me at the wedding."

"Oh, stop it, no one's thinking that far ahead," Jackie threw the pillow back at her. "He did kinda hint he wanted to ask me out, though."

"But he didn't?" Jezebel asked. "Sounds fishy."

"No," Jackie sighed, "sounds old-fashioned. It was like he was talking about…about courting, or something."

"Who would've thought?" Janey laughed. "Miss Closet Romantic finally found her Mr. Darcy."

Janey had to admit, Jackie was glowing. She'd never seen her cousin like that before. She evaluated her feelings and decided she wanted to talk about Pete, as a distraction from…that other guy.

"I wish you guys had been there when I met Pete," Janey sighed. "He's _such_ a dreamboat. And he's so charming, too. He called me an angel."

"Well, you did save his life," Jezebel shrugged. "Not hard to guess why. Probably fell out the window on purpose."

"What's his last name? Maybe we've seen him at school before," Jackie said.

"Y'know, I never caught it," Janey frowned. "I don't think I've ever seen him around at school, either; I definitely would remember a face like that. Maybe he's home-schooled."

"Or maybe he's a crazy stalker," Jezebel mumbled.

"Okay, whoa, what's with the negativity all of a sudden?" Jackie asked. Jezebel shrugged.

"What about you, Jezzie?" Janey turned to her dark-haired cousin. "Meet any cute guys recently?"

"No," Jezebel drew her knees up. "Not really."

"What does that mean?" Janey asked. "Have you met an average-looking guy?"

She shook her head. Janey _tsked_.

"Jez, you're never going to meet anyone if you don't get out there," she chided. "You're sixteen and you've never even gone on a date."

"Not through lack of trying, Janey," Jezebel snapped back. "Or do I need to bring out the list again?"

"All I'm saying is you need to—" Janey began, but Jezebel turned on her quicker than she could get her sentence out.

"Because putting yourself out there has worked so well for you," she said acidly. "You have more boyfriends than you know what to do with and a best friend who you don't want to talk to because he probably likes you. I am _perfectly happy_ to sit at home where nothing and nobody can mess with me. The last few times I tried to be like you I ended up getting stood up and hurt."

Silence followed this outburst.

"Okay," Janey nodded, "okay." She dearly wanted to say something to make Jezebel feel better, but there was too much truth in her accusation to ignore.

"Who wants popcorn?" Jackie asked brightly.

* * *

><p>Janey's phone rang a total of seven times. Every single time it was Rob. Every single time Janey ignored the call.<p>

She lay awake as Jezebel snuffled a little in her sleep and Jackie snored, then got up and crossed to the window. Outside, a beautiful moon was shining in the sky, millions of dots of light joining the party. Townsville beamed in the distance. She sighed, looking down at her clasped hands.

"Hey, Mom," she whispered to her fingers. "Wherever you are, I hope you know I wish you were here to help me sort this mess out. I know what normal girls would do, I guess. They'd go with the best friend."

She sighed again, sitting in the sill. "I don't know, though. There's just something about Pete that's really…really special. Not saying Rob isn't, but he's like…like a really close friend." She laughed a little. "Well, no duh. Best friend and all. I should call him my brother, but when he kissed me today…I felt things. Something. Maybe if Pete wasn't in the picture I could see myself liking Rob." She scrubbed a hand through her hair, yanking on the tangles. "Listen to me. Getting all mushy about a guy I just met today." She laughed again, a little more humorlessly. "He hasn't called me yet, you know. Rob's called me eighty bajillion times."

She ran her hand through her hair again and sighed. "I don't know." She stood back up, looking at the moon one more time. "Good talk, Mom. Come home soon."

She closed the window and went back to her place on the edge of Jackie's bed, laying awake for several more hours.

* * *

><p>Janey stared at her phone, laying innocently where she'd tossed it on the floor when she got home. She was chewing incessantly on her fingernails, arguing silently with herself as she waited for it to ring.<p>

_If it's Rob, I'll just ignore it…well…maybe I shouldn't. We're friends. I'm sure it was just a heat-of-the-moment kind of thing. But what if it wasn't? It had to be. We've been alone plenty of times. Why now? Why would he pick now to act if it was planned? _

_Because of Pete_, she replied to herself. _Think about it. It all makes sense. I meet a guy who I really like for the first time in a while, he feels threatened, he makes a move. But was he threatened for our friendship, or because he actually likes me? And what about Pete? I gave him my real number, for crying out loud. He's gonna call. I know he is. Yeah, he's hot, but I don't know anything about him. Rob's been my best friend since forever. Shouldn't this be a cut and dry decision?_

She kneaded her forehead, grumbling to herself. She floated across her room and picked up her phone, snuggling back down on her bed. She stared at it, toying it between her fingers, and sighed, pressing the familiar buttons. Just as she was about to push "call" her father burst through her door, looking frazzled. Down the halls she could hear the buzz of the hotline.

"Downtown," he said, "weird metal girl tearing it up, other two already on their way."

"Thanks for the sound bite," Janey rolled her eyes, getting up and pulling on her shoes.

Her phone rang as she opened the window to fly out, but she ignored it, swooping into the sky to see what the problem was.

"What's up?" Janey yelled as a magenta streak flew above her, and kicked into hyperdrive to catch up.

"Mayor Bellum said a robot is attacking downtown," Jackie replied. "Ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Janey said grimly, her mind wandering back to her phone. She wished she'd at least stayed to see who it was from….

Jezebel joined them silently, and together they sped towards the smoke rising from Townsville.

The smoke made things harder to see, but something silver was flashing through the air, emitting red lasers at random and scorching Townsville below. Collectively all three girls inhaled, then blew hard to disperse the smoke. Left behind was a slender robot, or maybe a girl sheathed in silver armor. Janey was inclined to think the latter, looking at the mass of curly reddish-brown hair poofing out around the crown-shaped helmet.

_…hang on a second…_

Jackie launched into her "surrender and we won't hurt you" spiel, but the figure laughed obnoxiously and pressed a button on the side of her helmet. The faceplate slid down under the chin, revealing an all-too-familiar smile. Janey glared.

"Queenie."

* * *

><p>AN: Hokay. Up until...erm...ten minutes ago, I hated this chapter. Now I'm feeling more resigned and vaguely fond of it more than anything else.

Janey's used to being the one who leaves first; the longest-running relationship, not counting her BBFship with Rob, was about two weeks. She's used to flirting and being gone, not thinking about a guy longer than it takes to have her bit of fun, maybe dance and tell a few jokes, and flit to the next flower. Pete is the first guy she's ever met who A) convinced her, with little to no effort other than being gorgeous (remember this), to give him HER number instead of the other way around, and B) stayed on her mind for a substantial amount of time, and not just in the back of her mind, the very or near-front.

Rob, on the other hand, is the one constant male figure other than family in her life; they've shared everything from cookies at snack time to messy breakup dramas, sticking to each other loyally and always with the unspoken understanding that there's an Untouchable Line between them. Rob crossed the Line, and now Janey doesn't know what to do or think. Rob, obviously, has been struggling with his feelings towards her for a while. Had he played his cards right instead of rushing his hand, we wouldn't be here right now.

And then there's a Queenie. :D Next chapter will be about 18 pages long. It made me depressed, but feel slightly awesome at the same time. You'll see why; LOTS of Jezzie backstory, the longest flashback ever, and some team-building.

REVIEWS KTHXILYBAI.


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